Moot Court named after highly respected WA Judge
Document Type
Media Release
Publication Date
Spring 9-11-2011
Publisher Name
The University of Notre Dame, Fremantle Campus
Publication Place
Fremantle
Abstract
Retired Judge of the Western Australian Supreme Court, the Honourable Justice Neville Owen, was formally recognised in November when The University of Notre Dame Australia named its new Moot Court in his honour.
The Justice Owen Moot Court is housed in the authentic Fremantle Court House (circa 1884) offering state-of-the-art training facilities for law students.
At a special gathering, Justice Owen and his family; members of the Western Australian law community (which included 16 members of Western Australia’s judiciary), staff, students and supporters of the Fremantle Campus’ School of Law joined with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Celia Hammond, as she formally opened the Moot Court.
In her address, the Vice Chancellor shared with guests Justice Owen’s significant role at Notre Dame.
“In 1997, he was a founding member of the School of Law Advisory Board. He was appointed Governor in 1997 and Trustee and Director of the University in 2005 and was Chancellor from 2005 to 2008,” explained Professor Hammond.
“Throughout this time, he has been an active contributor to the University. He has taught students; taught and counselled staff; and given sage words of advice and counsel over the years to senior staff.
“We would like to promote him to our students as a model for future lawyers. We want them to not only see what he has done but also see how he has done it. We want him to be a guide for a good and proper way of living a life in the law.
“This electronic Moot Court will help us to continue striving towards our goal of providing an excellent legal education: one which blends theory, ethics and a high standard of professional skills training.”
Justice Owen thanked the Vice Chancellor and guests. He said he was humbled by the decision of the University to name this facility after him.
“I know that there are many more worthy of the honour than me. However, it is particularly satisfying because it relates to a subject that is close to my heart: the advancement of advocacy skills and techniques as part of legal education and thus at an early stage of a lawyer's career.
“It represents a neat fit with the commitment to ethics that is central to the ethos of our University."
The addition of the Justice Owen Moot Court has increased the capacity for the School of Law to deliver an excellent standard of professional training to students by combining traditional advocacy training with up-to-date training in current computerised court processes.
Students are now able to record and review their trials, lodge legal documents electronically and practise against interstate competitors before international competitions. MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Ebbs, Tel (08) 9433 0569, Mob 0408 959 138 Leigh Dawson, Tel (08) 9433 0569, Mob 0405 441 093
Recommended Citation
Ebbs, Michelle, "Moot Court named after highly respected WA Judge" (2011). Media Release Archive. 330.
https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/media_release/330