The Supreme Court opened its doors to high school students for the first-ever Model Supreme Court (Model SC), an educational simulation that gave participants firsthand experience of how cases are argued, decided, and explained to the public.

Held at the Supreme Court's en banc session hall in Manila, the program formed part of the high court's 125th anniversary celebration and culminated after weeks of preparation by participating students.

Patterned after the Model United Nations, the Model SC was organized by the Supreme Court Office of the Spokesperson in partnership with the Department of Education.

The initiative allowed students to assume the roles of Supreme Court justices, lawyers, court spokespersons, and journalists, providing practical exposure to judicial proceedings and public communication.

Twenty-one students from Manila Science High School took part in the program, which began on 22 June with a mock constitutional case examining freedom of expression and the limits of student speech on personal social media platforms.

In the succeeding weeks, participants attended workshops, conducted legal research, prepared written pleadings, and developed legal arguments following the same process undertaken by actual litigants before the Supreme Court.

The program culminated in simulated oral arguments before a student-composed Supreme Court, followed by mock deliberations and a press conference where participants explained the ruling and answered questions from student journalists.

According to the Supreme Court, the initiative seeks to deepen students' understanding of the judicial system and the constitutional issues that shape public life by giving them firsthand experience in courtroom advocacy, judicial deliberations, and public communication.