The team from Fintona Girls’ School again showed why they are a formidable force in mooting by clinching this year’s Bond University National High School Mooting Competition.
The school was runner-up last year and returned with the same three competitors to succeed against Cranbrook School in the 2024 grand final in front of a record number of spectators.
Director of High School Mooting, Assistant Professor Kylie Fletcher said achieving second place last year was an amazing accomplishment “but returning this year to take out first place in another highly impressive final is testament to the team’s dedication, hard work and skill.”
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.
Faculty of Law Deputy Dean, Associate Professor Louise Parsons, said 12 teams progressed to the semi-finals.
“The standard of mooting during the preliminary rounds was very high, so the schools that made the semi-final 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.
This provided high school students and guests with an opportunity to follow highlights of the same fictional legal matter from trial to appeal.
First, they watched current Bond law students and staff acting out aspects of the trial.
The audience then watched the two high school teams argue the same matter on appeal during the grand final.
Associate Professor Parsons explained two Bond law students, acting as counsel, conducted examination in chief and cross examination of a third Bond law student, in the role of the witness, in front of an attentive crowd.
“There were many instances of ‘objection your honour’, and other things that you see at trial,” she said.
Students taking part in the grand final 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.