Surrey law students participate in Jessup Moot Court Competition
The mooting tradition within the School of Law continues to grow as the University of Surrey entered a team in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition for the second time this year.
Organised by the International Law Students Association and in its 55th year, ‘the Jessup’ is the largest moot court competition in the world. It involves a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial arm of the United Nations. Teams prepare both written and oral pleadings that argue the applicant's and the respondent's positions.
This year, the dispute arose out of the problematic shared use of a strait of water between the two fictional countries. Drilling in the seabed by one state had caused an underwater landslide that interfered with the fishing industry of the other state.
The University of Surrey was represented by law students Sara Berger, Rupert Ng Cheukhin, Ureshka Fernando, and Cameron Milton. The team had the benefit of coaching provided by law lecturer Dr Arman Sarvarian – a non-practising barrister and former Jessup competitor, judge and coach – and Jessica Walsh, a non-practising solicitor and PhD candidate at the University. They were also provided with financial support by the School of Law.
Participation in the moot will be of great benefit to the students as they look to qualify as legal professionals, particularly if they are aspiring to international careers. We hope that other students will be inspired to build on the experience of our first two teams and compete enthusiastically next year.
Recruitment for next year’s competition will shortly be underway; students interested in participating or finding out more should contact Dr Arman Sarvarian (a.sarvarian@surrey.ac.uk) or Jessica Walsh (j.a.walsh@surrey.ac.uk).