Law students from The University of Queensland have built on their strong mooting record, winning the 13th International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot competition.
Students from the UQ TC Beirne School of Law won the competition in which 17 teams from seven countries took part. The four-day event was held at the Federal Court of Australia in Brisbane on July 10.
The UQ team – made up of Mitchell Beebe, Joshua Underwood, Katherine Stodulka and Bianca Kabel – won a closely fought final round against a team from the Queensland University of Technology.
Team coach, Adjunct Professor Dr Sarah Derrington, said the team performed impressively.
“The team did an outstanding job, almost clean-sweeping the prize pool,” Dr Derrington said.
In addition to winning the oral rounds, UQ was the highest-ranked team in the general rounds, and awarded prizes for the best overall performance in written memoranda and best memoranda for the respondent.
“They are to be congratulated for their hard work, team spirit and sportsmanship. They are a credit to the Law School and to UQ,” said Dr Derringon, who is a barrister and specialist in maritime and shipping law.
The win follows UQ victories in the 2011 Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) National Mooting Competition and in the Australian rounds of the prestigious Jessup International Law Mooting Competition earlier this year.
The annual International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot (IMLAM) is organised by the School of Law at Murdoch University, Perth. Competitors address a maritime law dispute requiring them to produce a written memorandum for both the claimant and the respondent and present oral arguments in support of both positions.
The final was judged by Justice Andrew Greenwood, LMAA Arbitrator David Martin-Clark and Minter Ellison Partner David Thomas.
Dr Derrington said the experience would stand the law students in good stead for their future careers by enabling them to learn more about maritime law and commercial shipping, the arbitral process and practising in a global environment.
The law school’s Director of Mooting, Dr Peter Billings, thanked Dr Derrington and the team sponsor, Norton Rose, for their support in preparing the students for the competition.
Media:
Dr Peter Billings 07 3365 7176, p.billings@law.uq.edu.au
Melissa Reynolds 07 3365 2523, m.reynolds@law.uq.edu.au
