Oʻahu Students See Hawaiʻi Supreme Court in Action
Posted on Nov 10, 2026 in Featured News, News & Reports
Deputy Corporation Counsel Patricia Sendao presents oral argument on behalf of the respondents in Nonhuman Rights Project v. C&C of Honolulu, et al. during the Courts in the Community program at Punahou School on November 9, 2026.
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court convened in Dillingham Hall at Punahou School on November 9, 2026, to hear oral argument in Nonhuman Rights Project v. C&C of Honolulu, et al. as part of the Judiciary’s Courts in the Community program. About 450 students from 11 Oʻahu schools attended the session, part of a program designed to enhance civic education and promote greater public understanding of the judicial system.
“There is a big difference between reading about our justice system in a textbook and seeing it in action,” Chief Justice Vladimir P. Devens said. “The Courts in the Community program gives students an opportunity to watch attorneys present their arguments, see the justices ask questions, and experience firsthand how our highest court examines important legal issues.”
The participating schools included Saint Damien School, Hawaiʻi School for the Deaf and the Blind, Hawaiʻi School for Girls at La Pietra, Kalani High School, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Maryknoll School, President William McKinley High School, Mid-Pacific Institute, Myron B. Thompson Academy, Punahou School, and University Laboratory School.
Following the oral argument, students had the opportunity to ask the justices about the important role the Judiciary and the rule of law play in a democratic society.
From left: Associate Justice Lisa M. Ginoza, Associate Justice Sabrina S. McKenna, Chief Justice Vladimir P. Devens, Associate Justice Todd W. Eddins, and Judge James H. Ashford, who served as a substitute justice, take questions from students representing the 11 participating schools after hearing oral argument as part of the Courts in the Community event at Punahou School.
“We are grateful to Punahou School for opening its campus to the Supreme Court and making this event possible for all the participating schools and students,” Chief Justice Devens said. “It was especially gratifying to have students from 10 other Oʻahu schools join us for this experience. Courts in the Community is about making civic education accessible to young people throughout Hawaiʻi, and bringing students from different schools together is an important part of that mission.”
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court launched the Courts in the Community program in 2012. The session at Punahou was the 23rd Courts in the Community event. Approximately 7,300 students from across the state have attended since the program began.
The case heard on November 9, Nonhuman Rights Project v. C&C of Honolulu, et al. (SCWC-24-0000323), involves two Asian elephants, Mari and Vaigai, residing at the Honolulu Zoo. The Nonhuman Rights Project is seeking their release to an accredited elephant sanctuary through a legal process known as habeas corpus, which allows a court to examine whether someone is being unlawfully detained. The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court is considering whether state law supersedes the common law writ of habeas corpus and, if not, whether that legal remedy extends to animals as well as humans.
In preparation for the event, volunteer attorneys from the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association and the local legal community visited participating schools to help students understand the appellate process and the legal issues involved in the case.
The Judiciary extends its sincere appreciation to everyone who helped make this experience possible.
For more information about the Courts in the Community program, visit https://www.courts.state.hi.us/outreach/courts_in_the_community.