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UEL students take Birkbeck students to court

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Intervarsity Moot

Law students from the University of East London went head-to-head with students from Birkbeck, University of London, on Thursday, at an intervarsity ‘moot’: a reconstruction of a court hearing.

The case was heard at Stratford Magistrates’ Court in front of real judges, with students adorned in the traditional barrister’s wig and gown.

Presided over by District Judges Sims and Radway (acting as Lord Justices for the purpose of the moot), Birkbeck students Jade Swaby and Tara-Lynn Poole acted as Counsel for the Appellant, with UEL students Necat Yusuf and Krasen Popov acting as Counsel for the Respondent.

The event simulated an appeal hearing for a Dr Jones, a paediatrician appealing against a ruling of murder, following an almost impossibly difficult decision as to which baby out of two to support on a single life-support machine.

The Birkbeck team had to put forward the argument that the ruling was erroneous and that the conviction was subsequently ‘unsafe’, while the UEL team had to defend the conviction.

Despite a robust and compelling argument from the UEL team, the judges eventually ruled on the side of the Birkbeck students, concluding that the original verdict should be quashed and a retrial ordered for the imaginary doctor. However, both judges acknowledged that the students had been presented with an extremely challenging case. 

Fiona Fairweather, Dean of the School of Law and Social Sciences at UEL, said: “It was a tremendous experience for the students to present a case in a real courtroom in front of professional judges.”

Adding: “the moot exemplified the exciting collaborations between Birkbeck and UEL that we can look forward to with the opening of our joint University Square campus in 2013.” 

The event was staged to highlight the colloboration between the two institutions next year when students from both universities will start courses at the joint University Square Campus in Stratford.


 

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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