The team competed against Cranbrook School in the final in front of a record number of spectators. The grand final is traditionally held in one of the law faculty’s moot courts but was moved to the larger Princeton Room to accommodate the audience.

Bond University director of high school mooting, Assistant Professor Kylie Fletcher, said that “returning this year to take out first place in another highly impressive final is testament to the team’s dedication, hard work and skill”.

Faculty of law deputy dean, Associate Professor Louise Parsons, said 12 teams progressed to the semifinals.

“The standard of mooting during the preliminary rounds was very high, so the schools that made the semifinal rounds demonstrated exceptional skills,” she said.

This year was the first time a mock trial was included as part of the grand final day experience – and provided students and guests with an opportunity to follow highlights of the same fictional legal matter from trial to appeal.

This began with Bond law students and staff acting out aspects of the trial. Then, the audience watched the two high school teams argue the same matter on appeal during the grand final.

Two Bond law students, acting as counsel, conducted an examination in chief and cross-examination of a third Bond law student, in the role of the witness, in front of an attentive crowd.

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“There were many instances of ‘objection your honour’, and other things that you see at trial,” Parsons said.

In the grand final, students presented their arguments in front of the Honourable Robert Gotterson AO (retired judge of the Queensland Supreme Court of Appeal), retired judge John Newton (retired from the Queensland District Court), and Associate Professor Wendy Bonython (the faculty’s associate dean of learning and teaching).

Each year, up to three Judge John Newton Mooting Scholarships are awarded exclusively to year 12 students who have participated in the Bond University National High School Mooting Competition.