WitEx provides New Zealand law students a unique opportunity to practise their advocacy skills in a friendly environment resembling a real courtroom hearing. WitEx requires you to act as counsel in a mock court hearing before a judge. You will either appear as counsel for the prosecution/plaintiff or the defence/defendant. In each round you will present an opening and closing address to the court and call one witness to prove your set of facts and support your case. The problem question will be given to you 90 minutes before the hearing. It helps to have a general understanding of the law of evidence – 20/100 marks are allocated to how you deal with evidence law. The most important skills to demonstrate are an ability to get the information you need from a witness and to present compelling arguments, with the key to success being your direct examination and cross-examination of the witnesses. The competition is fun, rewarding and a great training experience for aspiring courtroom lawyers.
2025 WitEx winners
MinterEllisonRuddWatts congratulates the winners of each regional university WitEx Competition for 2025:
| University: | Winner: | Runner-up: |
|---|---|---|
| University of Auckland | Alex Yang | Joe Reddish |
| University of Waikato | Khushman Khakh | Sharon McGeough |
| University of Canterbury | Toby Spackman | Noya Oporto |
| University of Otago | Abby Wallace | William Veale |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Hattie Compton-Moen | William Bell Purchas |
| Auckland University of Technology | Ivan Tarlton | Jessica Weston |
2026 competition dates
| University: | Prelim: | Semi: | Final: |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Auckland | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| University of Waikato | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| University of Canterbury | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| University of Otago | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Victoria University of Wellington | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Auckland University of Technology | TBA | TBA | TBA |
2024 WitEx winners
MinterEllisonRuddWatts congratulates the winners of each regional university WitEx Competition for 2024:
| University: | Winner: | Runner-up: |
|---|---|---|
| University of Auckland | Vincent To | Kevin Qian |
| University of Waikato | Cullen White | Tobia Tohill |
| University of Canterbury | Paris Tod | Cindy Kuang |
| University of Otago | Lily Alderton-Armstrong | Deborah Huang |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Sarah Romain | Hannah Compton-Momen |
| Auckland University of Technology | Bailey Collier | Jessica Weston |
