‘The judges were blown away’: Canberra Grammar students win national mooting competition

The team’s national title was sealed by Canberra Grammar’s junior counsel, who was also awarded the Best Oralist trophy.

Now in its 35th year, the National High School Mooting Competition attracted 63 teams from across Australia and New Zealand.

Teams of two to three students from years 11 to 13 at Australian high schools competed in preliminary rounds held virtually, with the semi-finals and grand final taking place on campus at Bond University on the Gold Coast.

This year’s grand final scenario explored whether parents could be held legally responsible for the actions of their teenage child, following an incident in which another young person was allegedly injured.

Competition director Louise Parsons said the students’ performances in this year’s grand final far exceeded what is typically expected at the year 12 level.

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“There was a level of maturity and confidence in the participants that one would not expect from students still completing their final year at school,” she said.

“The judges were blown away.”

Academic adviser Kylie Fletcher echoed the sentiment, noting that the overall standard was so high that “we decided that 12 teams should progress to the semi-finals”.

The competition also serves as a pathway for aspiring legal professionals, with up to three Judge John Newton Mooting Scholarships awarded each year to outstanding year 12 participants.

The grand final was adjudicated by the Honourable Robert Gotterson AO KC, a former judge of the Queensland Court of Appeal, along with Associate Professor Wendy Bonython and Assistant Professor Jo Hintz.