Bond University Law Students Association – Great Animal Welfare Debate

Ian Kennedy and Sophie Pearson were pleased to support the Bond University Law Students Association paper presentation competition at Bond University on Thursday 7 November 2013.

The grand final of the McLaughlin’s Lawyers paper presentation competition was billed as the Great Animal Welfare Debate with the topic being “This house would ban the use of animals as objects of sport and entertainment”.

The special guest judges were former High Court Justice the Honorable Michael Kirby AC CMG and Mr Philip Hack SC Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Ms Geraldine McKenzie Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Law at Bond University.

The team in the affirmative were lead by former Assistant Chief Inspector of the RSCPA Tracey Jackson and the team for the negative were lead by former MP Terry Gygar RFD. After a lively and entertaining presentation the judges determined that the team for the negative won the debate due to their clever use of the wording of the topic. The overall winner as best debater was past present of the Bond University Law Students Association Matthew McLean who wins the opportunity to undertake two weeks work experience at McLaughlins Lawyers.

McLaughlins were pleased to be able to invite special guests to the debate David Hoskot the Director of Fundraising for the Animal Welfare League of Queensland along with Joy Verrinder the Strategic Development Officer of the Animal Welfare League of Queensland. Our invited guests had the opportunity to meet the Bond University Animal Welfare League and were very impressed with the caliber of the Bond University students.