Grand final of the University of Oxford Maitland Chambers Inter-Collegiate (Cuppers) Mooting Competition 2016-2017

The University of Oxford Maitland Chambers Inter-Collegiate mooting competition took place in Keble College on Wednesday, 8 March 2017. The moot problem for this year’s Grand Final was based on the facts in the Miller case. That case concerned the right of the Government to use the prerogative powers to submit a notification for exiting the European Union according to Article 50 TEU, as well as the right of devolved nations to be consulted before such notification is submitted. The mooters were to assume that the Supreme Court has not yet decided the appeal, and they offered interesting and innovative arguments on behalf of both parties. The standard of mooting was exceptionally high, leaving the most difficult task for the bench.

The Grand Final was presided over by Professor Catherine O’Regan, a former Justice of the South African Constitutional Court. She was joined by Mr Nicholas Peacock QC and Mr David Mumford QC of Maitland Chambers. All the four finalists, Mr Thomas Pausey and Mr Jonathan Lam of St Catherine’s College for the appellant, and Mr Joseph Johnson and Mr Ramganesh Lakshman of the Queen’s College for the respondent, received praise for their skill and legal knowledge from the bench, but ultimately Mr Johnson and Mr Lakshman triumphed.