World champion mooters

A team of UNSW law students has taken on the world and emerged champions in a mooting competition in Scotland.

Students Madeleine Ellicott, Tamara Phillips and Katrina Taylor, defeated European champions Germany's University of Augsburg, to take out the 2008 World Final of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition in Glascow.

It is the first time an Australian university has won the title.

As world champions, the UNSW team bring home the Manfred Lachs Trophy and the Lee Love Award. Team member Madeleine Ellicott won the Sterns and Tennen Award for Best Individual Oralist in the world finals.

Unique to the Lachs competition, the final was judged by sitting judges of the International Court of Justice - His Excellency Judge Abdul Koroma and His Excellency Judge Peter Tomka. The third judge was Professor Francis Lyall from the University of Aberdeen and Board Member of the European Centre for Space Law.

The competition focused on a problem concerning international space law.The judges were especially impressed with the UNSW team's comprehensive knowledge of general public international law.

The win consolidates UNSW Law School's standing as an international leader in mooting. It follows success in the Jessup International Law Moot in Washington in April when the UNSW team outshone universities from across Australia and around the world to be runners up in the grand final.

UNSW has also fared well in national competition. A separate team recently won their way to the final of the 2008 Sir Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot Competition in Melbourne.

Contact: Steve Offner | 9385 8107 | s.offner@unsw.edu.au