Mooting Success: Another Inner Temple Inter-Varsity win for City
On Sunday 19 January 2020 Thomas Beardsworth and Jacob Haddad won the Inner Temple Inter-Varsity Moot, prevailing over teams from UCL, Dundee and elsewhere. This is the third year in a row that City have won this competition. The Final was judged by Benchers of Inner Temple and three criminal QCs. The chair of judges, Master Treasurer Guy Fetherstonhaugh QC, kindly said of the City team in his remarks:
“…you were the real thing.”
Thomas reports back on the day…
The moot problem required scrutinising the Supreme Court’s 2016 decision in Jogee [2016] UKSC 8, which reformed the principles governing the criminal liability of accessories. We made submissions on concepts including foresight, intention and supervening act.
The competition is demanding insofar as teams switch between Appellant and Respondent with a few moments notice between each round. Fortunately we managed to stay on the right side of this Jekyll & Hyde routine all the way to the Final, where we got our Appellant acquitted for murder. We were then invited to take a picture alongside an unusually large, colourful trophy named after the King of Bhutan which we can’t keep.
Judges at the final were numerous!
- Master Ayling (Tracy Ayling QC);
- Master Brougham (Christopher Brougham QC);
- Master Treasurer of the Inner Temple (Guy Fetherstonhaugh QC);
- Simon Dennison QC (Head of Chambers at 6KBW College Hill);
- Jonathan Hall QC (6KBW College Hill).
Thank you to the volunteers from Inner Temple and various university law schools who gave up their day as a steward or judge. From the staff at City, University of London, we’re grateful to Mooting Director Emily Allbon and Elliot Schatzberger. Thank you also to 6KBW chambers, the sponsors.