a winning team on both their grasp of the
law, and the presentation of their case.
Alright so far? Unlike a “normal”
debate, a huge amount of material
is shared between the teams prior to
the Moot. Authorities contained in
“Bundles” citing previous, real, cases
are shared and must be adhered to, and
the two teams must show their basic
arguments – their “Skeletons” - to each
other and to the judge some days before
the Moot.
Also strange for a debater, one
moots with one’s back to the audience,
addressing the judge only, who may
interrupt your flow at any time with a
teasingly difficult question or demand.
Mooting is not for the faint-hearted!
We invite and receive entries from
all over the UK, playing on a knock-out
basis from November through to June,
when we hold the semi-finals here at
Dartmouth House, and the Grand Final
at the Royal Courts of Justice; in case you
are wondering, we do use real judges
and QCs on these occasions.
This is what Robert Quartly of Leicester
University, one of our 2013 semi-finalists
had to say of his mooting experiences:
“ There’s nothing quite like standing
up in front of barristers and judges
(let alone the crowds of spectators)
and debating the merits of a particular
legal point in an attempt to persuade
them to ‘rule’ in my favour - they’re
inevitably smarter, better trained and
more well-read. It’s a great challenge
(certainly harder than any exam or essay
I’ve done) to be put on the spot by such
minds armed with nothing but one’s wits
and (hopefully) knowledge of the law.
Ultimately, it’s this ‘buzz’ that drives me
to take the Bar.”
Ryan Halmkan organises Moots
for his alma mater, the University of
Westminster, and sees these benefits to
be gained:
“I feel that in order to profess skill
in law of any form, mooting is, in most
circumstances, a necessary requirement.
It provides a platform for students and
practitioners alike to consider interesting
areas of law, contentious issues and also
network. Mooting is, in principle, the
foundation of the Bar and Judiciary, with
the etiquette and practice required to
moot clearly displayed when one either
participates in or watches a moot.
There is an overwhelming sense
of satisfaction when one writes a moot
problem and others find ingenious and
creative arguments to challenge the
contentious issues that have been raised.
In essence, mooting is a fantastic
opportunity to develop presentation
skills, public speaking skills and aids in
building confidence.”
And finally a word from Essex
Court Chambers, our sponsors, and the
providers of the very generous prize
money. Teresa Harman says:
“Advocacy is at the heart of the
barristers’ profession, and skill in
advocacy is the distinguishing feature
of the barrister. Mooting provides
an excellent opportunity to anyone
aspiring to be such an advocate. It helps
to develop and to fine tune the core
skills that will be required in practice
in years to come: the orderly and
clear presentation of factual and legal
material; the ability to work together
as a member of a team; the confidence
to answer questions put by the judges
directly and succinctly; the confidence
to know when to abandon a weak point;
and the skill to develop a strong one in
the most persuasive way possible.
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