UCL in London Universities Mooting Shield hat-trick

UCL claimed the LUMS Grand Champions title for the third consecutive year at the London Universities Mooting Shield Grand Final held at Allen & Overy's Bishops Square offices on 18 March 2009. Birkbeck College, LUMS newcomers, also participated in this prestigious event.

The participants and assembled audience were transported to Strasbourg for a hearing before the European Court of Human Rights, involving stop and search in a fictitious European nation, the aptly named Orwellia. The moot drew inspiration from the United Kingdom's section 44 stop and search regime, which was the subject of the Court's recent decision in Gillan and Quinton v UK. Despite fierce arguments on the merits of the case, the application to the Court was ruled inadmissible by the panel of judges, to the delight of the Orwellian government.

The moot Sixth Chamber of the European Court was comprised of one judge from each of the competition's prominent sponsors, five in total, including Allen & Overy commercial real estate partner Daniel McKimm.

The LUMS Grand Final marks the end of each year's competitive mooting league, where each team moots against every other. UCL, LSE, SOAS, Queen Mary, Birkbeck, Westminster, London South Bank and King's College London currently take part. UCL was ranked top of the league, followed by Birkbeck, with Queen Mary only a few points behind. The top two teams in the league then go on to the Grand Final.

The winners of the Grand Final, UCL, received the coveted London Universities Mooting Shield, with other prizes including Best Overall Advocate (Aathmika Kularatnam, UCL), Spirit of the Shield (University of Westminster) and the Thakker Award (Lucy McKinley, London South Bank). The latter two prizes recognise the importance of teamwork, professionalism and commitment. The individual Grand Finalists received various prizes which were kindly donated by the competition sponsors.

The UCL team was formed of second year LLB students Simon Tysoe (Captain), Elizabeth Day, Aathmika Kularatnam and Jason Shardlow-Wrest.

The Birkbeck team featured William van Zwanenberg (Captain), Donna Driscoll, Diane Jackson and John Stables.

LUMS was founded in 2007 by John Harrison, Daniel Jackson, Richard Padley and Krishan Thakker; the moots officers at the four universities that took part in the first competition. LUMS is currently managed by Francesca Cassidy-Taylor, Chiraag Patel, John Harrison and Richard Padley.

For more information about LUMS and the opportunities it offers, or to take part, please e-mail info@lumshield.co.uk.