UWI Faculty of Law Cave Hill Wins the 4th Annual CCJ International Law Moot Competition

Winning Team UWI Cave Hill

CCJ, Port of Spain — The University of the West Indies Faculty of Law, Cave Hill, has won the 4TH Annual Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) International Law Moot Competition, today at the CCJ Courtroom 1, in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

This year’s Law Moot received the participation of six teams of students representing law schools and law faculties in the Caribbean:
• the Law Faculty of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados
• the Law Faculty of the University of Guyana
• Eugene Dupuch Law School in the Bahamas
• Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad
• Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica
• The Law Faculty of the University of Technology of Jamaica

The Caribbean Court of Justice’s Annual International Law Moot Court Competition was inaugurated in March 2009, to encourage budding attorneys to become familiar with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and other areas of International Law.

While delivering welcome remarks The Rt. Hon. Sir Dennis Byron, President of the CCJ, highlighted the successes of the moot as; “…building a regional cadre of lawyers and research practitioners who are actively engaged in the process of bringing the Treaty to life in Caribbean jurisprudence.”

This year’s moot case dealt with the imposition of the Common External Tariff (CET), together with other issues involving environmental law and international law. Arguments were presented before the panel of CCJ Judges and the Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Environmental Commission. The panel applauded the submissions of the students, and commented on the “exceptionally high standard” of the arguments of the mooters.

The winning team comprised of Tania Alexis-Prime, Rashad Brathwaite and Donna Fuller, with team advisor Mr. Westmin R. A. James. This is the first time that a faculty of law team has won the competition.

The team from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica came in second place, with last year’s winners, Eugene Dupuch Law School, in third place. Ms. Deniece Alleyne was awarded a special prize for her submissions on the environmental issues. The prize for the best team from an academic institution was also awarded to the Faculty of Law of UWI Cave Hill Campus.

Observers of today’s competition included The Hon. Mr. Justice Ivor Archie, Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago, The Hon. Mr. Justice Michael de la Bastide, former President of the CCJ, Dr. Kusha Haraksingh, Chairman of the CARICOM Competition Commission, His Honour Anthony Gafoor, The Chairman of the Tax Appeal Board, Mr. Fitzroy John, Comptroller of the Customs and Excise Division of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Principals of law schools and universities of the Caribbean.

Also assisting with the proceedings were first year law students of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. They functioned as mooting registrar, mooting court support officer and other mooting court officials.