The final of the New Zealand Law Foundation National Young Lawyers’ Mooting Competition 2018 was held on Wednesday night in the Old High Court, Wellington before a bench of William Young, Glazebrook and O’Regan JJ.

In a tightly-contested moot, Matthew Hutcheson and Emma Thomson of Norris Ward McKinnon, who were the Hamilton regional winners, competed against Laura Harris and Emily Bruce of Reids Family Law, the Wellington regional winners.

[Emma Thomson speaks to the judges, from left Justices Glazebrook,William Young, and O’Regan. Photo: Andrew Jacombs]

The moot focused on the meaning of the word “use” in the context of the criminal charge of dishonestly using a document to obtain property and the circumstances in which the court will make enquiries into jury room deliberations.

The Reids Family Law team were the ultimate winners, with the bench commenting on the very high standard of all competitors.

[Emily Bruce, far left, and Laura Harris, far right, with the three judges. Photo: Andrew Jacombs]

The national competition is held every second year with funding from the New Zealand Law Foundation and with the support of the New Zealand Bar Association and the New Zealand Law Society.

Thanks go to the senior lawyers who support the competition through training sessions, mentoring and judging the moots.