Winners of the inaugural Caribbean - China Intenrational Law Moot Court Competition (centre) Peiru Yang and Jiahong Cai with (from left) Judge, Chief Justice of Barbados Sir Marston Gibson, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the UWI Cave Hill Campus Professor Eudine Barriteau, Dean of the Faculty of Law Dr. David Berry and Justice William Chandler who was also a judge in the competition
Students mooting skills commended
STUDENTS came in for high praise during the just concluded inaugural Caribbean-China International Law Moot Court Competition, the first of its kind to be held in Barbados.
While the team from the Chinese University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) emerged victorious, the high level of participation did not go unnoticed by the judges, led by Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson.
During an awards dinner held at the UWI’s 3Ws Pavilion on Wednesday night, Dean of the Faculty of Law Dr. David Berry explained that the competition represents the first plank in strengthening the relationship between the UWI and CUPL.
“It will be bolstered by further collaboration with the MOU signed last week between UWI and CUPL. Under this MOU, we have pledged to work towards establishing a joint research centre... under whose rubric we hope to establish exchanges of students and academic staff including the hosting of a comparative law mooting competition as part of the student exchange.”
He said it is intended that the two institutions will pursue research activities including seminars, conferences and public lectures as well as exchange of publications, academic materials and other information.
“On the sidelines of the competition already discussed some legal projects and ways to bring the two law faculties together. The success of the moot and the close collaboration will further support this process.”
Sir Marston while commending the teams for the participation, lauded their brilliant minds and outstanding analytical skills, saying that it was evident that the students understood the issues very clearly. He acknowledged the Law Faculty and hard work of the organisers in the execution of the competition, noting that Cave Hill students normally would have to travel abroad to compete at this international level.
He noted that some day he may consider teaching at the CUPL , recalling that he was given the designation of Honorary Professor and was asked to consider coming back to do some teaching.
“At the time I wasn’t too sure but now that I know that I can go back and teach a course in English I may think about it a little more closely,” he said.
The final round of the Caribbean-China Interna-tional Law Moot Court competition was held on Wednesday in the Supreme Court of Barbados. (JH)