On 28 September 2010, the Maritime Moot team from QUT mooted against the Maritime Moot team from UiTM. No memorial were involved, but the teams agreed that the Maritime Moot 2010 (Sydney) problem would form the basis of the moot.
In the first tie, UiTM's team consisting of Miss Arina Lum and co-counsel, Mr Zarif Shafiq as claimants took on the respondents of QUT who were represented by Mr Isaac Buckley and co-counsel, Miss Jamie Nuich. Renowned barrister and coach of the QUT team, Mr Mark Thomas, sat as the sole arbitrator for this round.
For the second tie, QUT started as claimants instead and were represented by Miss Emma Buckley and Mr Tim Alexander. Responding to the allegations, were UiTM's team consisting of team captain, Miss Shairil Farhana and co-counsel, Mr Khairil Khalid. For this round, yours truly sat as the sole arbitrator.
Under the rules agreed between the team before hand, the home team would only be able to claim the challenge trophy if it won both ties outright. In the event of a draw, with each team taking a tie each, the away team would have the right to take home the challenge trophy.
At the end of both ties, after deliberations between the arbitrators, by a very narrow margin (i.e. splitting hairs here), both ties were awarded to QUT. Therefore, QUT won the right to take home the challenge trophy. However, winning is probably a double edged sword for QUT as that means less luggage space for shopping! Well done chaps!
There was a tie for the best mooter award. Both Miss Shairil Farhana and Mr Tim Alexander were equally amazing! However, in the spirit of giving the advantage to the away team in the event of a tie, Tim took home the trophy. Congratulations!
As the moot was a huge success both academically and socially for both universities, I hope that next year, a team from UiTM will be visiting QUT to try and win back the challenge trophies. Congratulations and well done to both teams. You displayed great mooting skills and I am heartened that the legal profession will not be short of hot shot young lawyers joining its ranks in the not too distant future.
My thanks to all who helped in the organising of the moots, especially the moot club and its enthusiastic 'moot clubbers' under the leadership of its president, Miss Elli Suraya.
If there was one disappointment, it was the campus monkeys not keeping to schedule and failing to appear at the rubbish dump behind the Cempaka One building. Sorry Jamie! Good news though, the very next day, I did see them at the dumpster behind PTAR II (the university's second library building). Better luck next time Jamie.
