The courtroom was filled with enthusiastic supporters for the Grand Final of the 2016 Mock Trial Competition, all there to observe the skills of the season's top two teams, 'Carey 10s' from Carey Baptist College, and 'Chisholm Challengers' from Chisholm Catholic College.

The Grand Final case was an action for defamation arising from a post on the defendant's Facebook page, which the plaintiff said had cost him his job as an English teacher at the highly regarded school where he had taught for several years. The Chief Justice of Western Australia, the Hon Wayne Martin AC, found in favour of the plaintiff, awarding him a year's salary to compensate for the loss of his contract, but found that there had been no harm to the plaintiff's reputation. The team from Carey Baptist College, acting for the plaintiff, had a win in court, but when the scores were revealed, their valiant opponents from Chisholm Catholic College won 'by a whisker' on points, and carried off the trophy. This was a significant triumph for Chisholm, a school which has returned year upon year after experiencing narrow defeats. Congratulations to the team from Chisholm Catholic College.

Elizabeth Needham, President of the Law Society, along with the Acting Director General of the Department of the Attorney General, Pauline Bagdonavicius, welcomed guests and presented both teams with trophies following the trial. Lorraine Finlay, Law Lecturer and Head of Mooting at the Murdoch University School of Law, presented the 2016 Murdoch University Moot Court Bench Scholarship to Daniel Morey of Shenton College.

The Society would like to extend our gratitude to the many members of the legal profession including associates, practitioners and law students who acted as coaches and judges in the 2016 Competition. Thank you also to the lawyers in the Grand Final Case Working Group who devised the case material for the Grand Final.

We are now taking registrations for volunteers for the 2017 Competition. Previous participation is not required and all volunteers are eligible to claim CPD points for their efforts. We will be running an information session in February 2017 to explain the Competition in detail.

Please contact us at mocktrial@lawsocietywa.asn.au or on (08) 9324 8604 to register your interest.

32 | BRIEF DECEMBER 2016

2016 Mock Trial Competition Grand Final

Alex McVey; Murdoch Scholarship Recipient Daniel Morey of Shenton College with his parents; Daniel Johnson; and Lorraine Finlay of Murdoch University.

The Hon Wayne Martin AC, adjudicating.

The two Grand Final teams with The Hon Wayne Martin AC, Chief Justice of Western Australia; Elizabeth Needham, President, the Law Society; and Pauline Bagdonavicius, A/Director General of the Department of the Attorney General.

33

COACHESAlexander MossopAnne DurackAnthony EyersAoning LiAshley RobertsCarly PriceCarly SluiterCarolyn MossChloe BlackwellChristopher HarrisonClaire RossiCraig HershowitzCraig McIntoshDanae AldousElyce LinesErica ThuijsGrant BenskinIlya IsakovIsobel MilnesJacqueline MuskJames MarzekJessica BerryJohn RandoJoshua KainJuin Hui NgKate OfferKhie CalverLiz HollingdaleMarc SaupinMargaret BreenMatthew CurwoodMichael JuddNatasha BurnNicola Thomas-EvansPaul PascoeRebecca SweeneyRein SquiresRhiarne BruceRichard HookerSam CotenSameena SanmakaySarah Jones

Scott WilkinsShannon WalkerSimon DavisStephanie O’ConnorTony ButiYvette CliftonZoe Kalimeris

JUDGESAlexander McVeyAmy RyanAndy HunterAsanka GunasekeraBelinda GilesCassandra JossChad SilverCheyne BeethamChloe GallChristopher TownsendCraig AstillDaniel HarropDavid MarshallDebbie TaylorDeon de KlerkEleni KannisElliott CookElmi CarleanEmily O’KeeffeEmily ZylstraEmma SalsanoFrances VeltmanFrancis Cardell-OliverFrith GibbonsGayann WalkerGemma MullinsGreg MohenJacob CarmodyJade LucasJake LowtherJay RajaJessica HendersonJessica TowerJohn Park

John VaughanJonathon HorneJonathon PapaliaJoshua RichardsJoy HorwoodJun WongKarina TravaglioneKate WilsonKeely LiddleKevin ParkerLisa RocheLorraine FinlayMarilyn KrawitzMarlene RudlandMarshall McKennaMatthew RobertsMichael CornesMichelle LinehanMiranda RobertsonNatalie WiggNatasha StewartNick ScottPaola LoviPatrick MackenzieRalph TimpaniRebecca DennisonRobert NashRosanna MaugeriSam HemachandraSam MenglerSam PackScott YoungShay DuceSimon SteenhofStephanie SmithTara MoffatThomas CampThomas FurlongTim LethbridgeTimothy MasonTun YeoVlada LemaicZoe Kalimeris

Weextendourthankstothefollowingmembersoftheprofessionwhovolunteeredascoachesand/orjudgesinthe2016Competition.TheCompetitionwouldnotbepossiblewithoutyoursupport.

WITH THANKS

2016 Mock Trial Competition proudly supported by

Founding sponsor:

Funded by:

Supporting sponsor:

Barristers for the Chisholm team.