SINGAPORE - It was an all-Singapore Management University (SMU) final at the Attorney-General's Cup moot competition on Friday night.

Through a series of knock-out rounds beginning in July, an initial field of 16 was whittled down to Ms Wong Yan Yee and Mr Sean Sim Zhi Quan.

Ms Wong, 20, emerged the winner after both presented oral arguments to a panel comprising Attorney-General V.K. Rajah, Judge of Appeal Andrew Phang and Justice Quentin Low at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Moot Court. She won $1,000, while Mr Sim, 22, was awarded $500.

The two finalists, both second-year students, also received an internship with AGC.

One of the hypothetical questions local law students had to tackle during the later rounds involved whistle-blowing. Can someone who leaked information marked as "confidential" to the media to expose alleged wrongdoing in the public service - flouting the Official Secrets Act - defend himself by saying he did so to protect the public interest?

NUS third-year-student Mr Wong, 23, was the top finisher from his school. He was eliminated in the semi-finals but won a prize for having the best memorial, or written submission. SMU was the overall winner of this year's competition.

The competition, which was first held in 2011, was the brainchild of law professor and former Attorney-General Walter Woon. It aims to increase the level of interest and awareness of criminal law issues among students, as well as boost the quality of legal argumentation on criminal law issues.