Later this month, a groundbreaking national Address to Jury (A2J) competition will take place in Sri Lanka: Themis 2025. Organised by the Law Society of Horizon Campus, the event will bring together law students from across the island to compete in simulated jury trials, reviving an advocacy style that has all but vanished from the country’s justice system.

Set for 22-24 August at Knowledge City Malabe, the competition will see more than 15 teams, nearly 80 undergraduate and postgraduate students, step into the role of trial advocates, arguing their cases before simulated juries.

Named after the Greek goddess of law and order, Themis 2025 is the first national platform of its kind in Sri Lanka, and it arrives at a time when legal education is increasingly under pressure to blend theory with practice.

To understand the vision behind this initiative, The Daily Morning Brunch sat with Horizon Campus Law Society Editor-in-Chief Thenumi Ranasinghe and Horizon Campus Media Engagement and Public Communications Director Mahishi Ranasinghe. Together, they discussed why this event matters, what it seeks to revive, and how it could reshape the way students, and the public, engage with justice.

Themis 2025 has been described as a first-of-its-kind competition in Sri Lanka. What exactly makes it different from other student legal contests?

Thenumi Ranasinghe: Most legal competitions we see today, whether they’re moots, client counselling, or arbitration contests, focus on addressing judges or arbitrators. What makes Themis unique is its focus on addressing a jury. Students won’t just be making arguments grounded in legal precedent; they’ll need to persuade a room full of ordinary people. That requires a very different style of communication: plain speaking, emotional connection, and the ability to simplify without oversimplifying.

For law students, this is a rare chance to practise a form of advocacy that isn’t emphasised enough in legal education. Our goal is to give them an experience of what it means to argue not only for the law, but for people.

Sri Lanka once had jury trials, but they’re no longer part of the system. Why bring this format back, even in a simulated form?

Mahishi Ranasinghe: Jury trials were historically part of our legal heritage, but they faded out for many reasons: efficiency, the demand for specialist judicial opinions, and the push for consistency in verdicts. In the process, we lost a valuable skill set: the art of addressing ordinary citizens as decision-makers.

Reintroducing this skill, even through a student competition, has long-term value. Jury trials, if carefully designed, can actually strengthen public confidence in the justice system. In societies like ours, which have endured conflict and where trust in institutions is sometimes fragile, involving people directly in justice-making can support democratic values.

That doesn’t mean we’re advocating for an immediate return of juries to the courts. But by training students in this mode of advocacy, we’re keeping that tradition alive and encouraging a style of lawyering that is more accessible and transparent.

What will the competition itself look like for participants?

Thenumi: Each team will prepare submissions for fictional criminal or civil cases. These cases will then be argued before a simulated jury made up of volunteers. The jurors will determine liability or guilt based on the facts presented and the persuasiveness of the arguments.

Unlike moot court, where the judge expects technical precision, this requires a softer skillset: delivery, clarity, and persuasion. Students will have to think about tone, body language, and relatability. It’s a true test of whether they can make the law understandable to people who aren’t trained in it.

Beyond competition, what do you hope students will take away from this experience?

Mahishi: Confidence, above all. Many law students are comfortable reading statutes and citing cases, but not all are comfortable speaking to people in plain language. Themis will push them to think about advocacy as a conversation rather than a performance.

And it’s not just about the courtroom. These skills are transferrable. Whether you’re addressing a client, speaking at a public forum, or advocating for policy, the ability to connect with people is invaluable.

Thenumi: I’d add that it’s also about empathy. Addressing a jury requires you to see the case through the eyes of people who may not understand technicalities but still need to be convinced of your position. That humanises the law. It reminds students that the law isn’t just about rules; it’s about people.

How does Themis 2025 fit into the wider conversation about reforming legal education in Sri Lanka?

Thenumi: For too long, legal education here has been tilted heavily towards rote learning and examinations. Practical advocacy, especially in trial settings, often gets sidelined. Themis is our way of saying: law is not just theory, it’s practice.

By creating a national platform, we’re also encouraging collaboration between universities. It’s not just about winning or losing, it’s about exposure, networking, and raising the bar collectively.

Mahishi: And from an institutional perspective, it’s about showing that student-led initiatives can innovate in areas where the mainstream curriculum lags. We hope Themis inspires more events like this: spaces where students get to test themselves in formats that challenge both intellect and empathy.

How have students and institutions responded so far?

Mahishi: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Over 15 teams are preparing to compete, and we’re expecting nearly 80 students. We’ve also had strong support from the Law Students’ Association of Sri Lanka, which is coming on board as our Outreach Partner.

Thenumi: What excites me most is seeing students from different universities come together. Some have had exposure to internal Address to Jury contests, but never on a national scale. Themis will give them that arena.

Critics might say jury simulations are niche or outdated. What would you say to that?

Thenumi: I’d say look around the world. In many jurisdictions, jury trials are still a cornerstone of justice. Even where they’re not, the skill of persuasive advocacy remains timeless. There will always be value in learning how to speak convincingly to ordinary people.

Mahishi: And let’s not forget the symbolic value. In a time when people are demanding more transparency from institutions, reminding ourselves of traditions that gave citizens a voice is powerful. Themis is about reimagining, not replicating, the jury trial.

What’s next for Themis after 2025? Do you see it becoming an annual tradition?

Mahishi: That’s certainly the hope. If the inaugural event goes well, we want to make it a fixture of the student legal calendar.

Thenumi: And each year, we’d like to grow, not just in numbers, but in the sophistication of cases, the training offered, and the conversations sparked. The ultimate dream is to make Themis a platform where the next generation of trial advocates in Sri Lanka is born.

Finally, if you had to sum up Themis 2025 in one line, what would it be?

Thenumi: It’s about reminding law students that advocacy is not only about speaking to judges, it’s about speaking to people.

Mahishi: It’s about reviving a lost skill in a way that prepares our future lawyers for a more empathetic, transparent practice of law.