Counsel · Junior barrister
Yongxing (Young) Sun
An analyst's eye from business, and fluent Mandarin.
In brief
Young works with Quentin Duff and Wiremu Rhodes on their criminal practice in the District Court and High Court. He has practised exclusively in criminal law since November 2024, and joined Mātai Chambers in January 2026.
He is fluent in Mandarin and represents Chinese-speaking clients directly. In a High Court trial for manslaughter and kidnapping, where every defendant represented themselves, he assisted Quentin Duff as standby counsel, reviewed the Crown's Mandarin translations of intercepted recordings, and was appointed by the Judge as Counsel to Assist the Court.
He appears alone at contested bail and sentencing hearings, including opposed applications for electronically monitored bail. Before the law he built a career in business, and he holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Information Systems and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland.
Time at the bar
- Languages
- English and Mandarin
- Education
- LLB, 2023, and BCom (Information Systems), 2008, University of Auckland
- Admitted
- 2024
- Instructing
- Privately, through solicitors or directly
- Legal aid
- PAL 1
- Works with
- Quentin Duff and Wiremu Rhodes
Selected cases
- Counsel to Assist in a manslaughter and kidnapping trialAll defendants self-represented. Junior to standby counsel; appointed Counsel to Assist the Court; review of the prosecution's Mandarin translations. With Quentin Duff.R v L and XHigh Court, 2026
- Home detention for driving while disqualifiedThird or subsequent. Cross-examined the sole prosecution witness. The Court adopted a 14-month starting point against the prosecution's 18. With Guneesh Jubal.Police v PDistrict Court, 2026
- Electronically monitored bail grantedTwo opposed applications, argued alone, in July and August 2026.District Court, 2026
- Imprisonment avoided in five sentencingsOutcomes including home detention and intensive supervision.District Court, 2026
- Acquitted of assault with intent to injureJury trial on assault with intent to injure and injuring with intent to injure. Carriage of the file and the defendant's brief of evidence; co-counsel at trial. Not guilty on both charges.R v MDistrict Court, 2025
