Law students from the region set to compete in mock trial

The fifth annual Fortis Advocatus Moot Court Competition is set to take place this week in Antigua and Barbuda.

Law students at the CAPE level from across the Eastern Caribbean will engage in simulated court proceedings through hypothetical mock trials.

The competition has grown considerably over the years, with this year’s event featuring teams from St. Vincent and Grenada alongside four teams representing the host country.

The association aims to ensure students receive training on the inner workings of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, extending this opportunity to participants from across the OECS to enhance their skills and knowledge.

The competition process began last year with qualifying rounds where teams submitted written legal arguments, known in legal circles as memorials. The highest-scoring written submissions from Antigua and Barbuda advanced to this week’s semifinal rounds.

Teams from Grenada’s TA Marryshow Community College and St. Vincent Community College are scheduled to arrive Wednesday to join their Antiguan counterparts. All participants will gather at the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda for the semifinals on Thursday, beginning at 9am.

The semifinal round provides all teams the opportunity to present oral submissions before the court while representing either appellant or respondent roles in a hypothetical criminal appeal case. While qualification required written memorials, participants will now be evaluated on their oral advocacy skills.

A distinguished panel of judges will assess the teams using specific scoring parameters during the semifinals. The highest-scoring appellant team and highest-scoring respondent team will advance to Friday’s finals.

Winners will receive internships at law firms in their respective countries along with cash prizes. An esteemed panel of judges, including justices of the High Court, senior counsel, and the acting DPP, will interact with students at a very high level throughout the competition.

The mooting association is directed by a committee of attorneys including Athill, Kemar Roberts, Jeniece St Romain, and Curtis Cornelius.

The general public is welcomed to attend the competition free of charge, subject to courtroom capacity limitations, to witness the performance of tomorrow’s legal minds.