Following our successes in the Allen and Overy Competition in 2008/2009, we had the privilege this year of organizing the competition and incorporating our experiences into how it was run with the aim of improving the experience of taking part in the competition for this year’s mooters.

This year we organized training for all the persons involved in the mooting competition before the first round, based on our concerns from our own year as to the standard of the moot, and also the fact that if people didn’t ‘get’ mooting, then they would be able to gain very little from the experience of taking part in the first round. Based on this we were happy that the standard of moot in the first round this year was better than that in the year that we did ours.

We also introduced a system of giving general feedback, based on our discussions with the judges in the first round of the competition, so that we could ensure that persons where best able to develop their mooting, moving from the first to the second rounds.

The first year competition was well supported by the Law School lecturing staff, who provided the judging for the 1st and 2nd rounds, enabling the mooting competition to happen without any difficulties.

We were pleased that the Sponsors Allen & Overy, supported this competition, in particular that a Senior Partner was able to take the time to judge the final of the competition. Being an Alumnus of the University, he also made himself available to give some incite to mooting finalists into his career post Birmingham. He was also supported by Master of the Moots Matthew Fiddy in Judging the competition, and, being a current 3rd year student at the time, represented a unparalleled development opportunity for a Law student.

Many congratulations to this years finalists, Nivedita S, Natalie Hearn, Joseph Black and Thomas Mile, and the eventual winner and runner-up, Nivedita S and Natalie Hearn.

Many thanks also to Martin George for organizing and supporting the competition, as well as all the other members of Law School Staff and Research Students who gave their time in support of the competition.

Jonathan Jackson and Matthew Gayle, Holdsworth Mooting Committee 2009-10

The Camm Cup Mooting Tournament is open to second and final year law students at the University of Birmingham. The winner of the competition is awarded the prestigious title of Master or Mistress of the Moots, and, alongside the winners and runners up of the other internal mooting competitions, form the Mooting Committee for the following academic year. Mooting is a very popular student activity and the Camm Cup was once again over-subscribed, so thirty-two students were selected by way of a lottery draw to compete in last year’s competition. No 5 Chambers kindly agreed to sponsor the tournament and to supply judges for each heat.

The competition in 2009-2010 was divided into three main stages. Competitors were initially placed into eight groups of four mooters. The first-round moot problem, which took place in November 2009, was a constitutional law problem based on parliamentary sovereignty and posing the question of whether a statute could ever be a binding ‘constitutional statute’. Each first-round moot was judged by a barrister from No 5 Chambers. From each group, one person progressed to the semi-finals.

Two semi-final moots were held in January 2010. The eight winners of the first-round heats were divided into two groups of four. For the semi-finals, the subject of the moots was criminal law, specifically the availability of the defences of automatism and provocation in a fictional scenario. No 5 Chambers once again provided two senior barristers to judge each moot. After the moots had taken place, the judges selected two mooters from each group to progress to the grand final.

The final of the Camm Cup was held in the Moot Room on the 19^th of February 2010. The competitors that had made it to the final were second year students Harriet Drury, Misbah Rahman, and Michael Young, and third year student Abisola Latunji. On a proud day for Birmingham Law School, the moot was chaired by Lord Hope of Craighead, Deputy President of the Supreme Court and Holdsworth Club President 2010. His Lordship was joined by Professor Nelson Enonchong, Barber Professor of Law at the University and barrister at No 5 Chambers, and by David Williams QC, also from No 5. For the final, special arrangements were made to record the moot, which was very well attended. The moot problem was based on contract law and the legal position surrounding the part payment of a debt. After careful deliberation, the judges declared Harriet Drury to be the winner and Michael Young to be the runner-up. Harriet was awarded the Camm Cup trophy and a cheque for £100, and Michael received £50. Afterwards, a buffet reception was held where audience members had the opportunity to discuss the moot with the judges and the competitors.

Throughout the 2009-2010 Camm Cup competition the standard was extremely high. Given the success of the tournament in generating interest in mooting, it is likely that future competitions will feature a similar standard of intellectual ability. All second and third year students with any interest in the legal profession are strongly encouraged to get involved in mooting next year.

Matt Fiddy and Eliza Hakes, Master and Deputy Mistress of the Moots, 2009-10

The OUP & BPP National Mooting Competition 2009-10 Finalists. Rupert and Jon are standing to the judge's right-hand side. Reproduced with kind permission of Ben Spagnolo (Oxford)

It has been a very successful year for Mooting at Birmingham. On 1 July the team from Birmingham, consisting of Rupert Jones (GDLS) and Jonathan Jackson (LLB, second year), reached the final of the OUP and BPP National Mooting Competition 2009-2010, having beaten Ulster, Oxford Brookes, Reading and King’s College, London along the way. His Honour Judge Charles Gratwicke of Chelmsford Crown Court presided over one of the closest finals of recent years, held at BPP Law School, Holborn. The OUP and BPP National Mooting Competition is one of the largest in the country drawing over 60 teams each year. After four rounds of knock out competition four teams compete in the final; this year, Birmingham was pitted against Chester, and Oxford took on the defending champions, Sheffield Hallam. In a tense final, Oxford was declared the winner, and Birmingham was awarded second place – just one point separated the two teams. Rupert and Jonathan, as Runners-Up for the 2009-10 competition, were awarded £350 each.

The fictitious mooting problem, devised for the competition by Dr Kirsty Horsey from Kent Law School, was in the Court of Appeal: Slade v Trowell Entertainment. It focussed on “You’ve Got Talent” contestant Dave Slade fluffing his audition and running off only to be forced back on stage to perform by the show’s presenters Pant and Deck; much to his embarrassment but the audience’s entertainment. Dave sues Trowell Entertainment, alleging assault, battery, false imprisonment, intended emotional harm and loss of the opportunity to win the show’s £500,000 prize.