Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Two University of Toronto law students, Yousuf Aftab and Mark Elton, won first place in the 2005 Commonwealth Moot Championship, an international competition held in London, England as part of the Commonwealth Law Conference. From September 11 to 15, 2005, teams from across the Commonwealth, including Canada, the UK, Asia and Africa, came together to compete against each other in mock court of appeal legal cases.

Started in Hong Kong in 1983, the competition is held every three years, and features law students debating hypothetical legal cases in front of judges. First place honours at the Gale Cup Moot in February 2005 secured U of T's place in the 2005 competition.

The U of T, Faculty of Law "duo," now in their third year, argued their case - on the duty of the Canadian government to intervene on behalf of its citizens where they are subject to imprisonment abroad - against 12 teams from around the world. Mr. Aftab also won "best oralist."

"This is a tremendous accomplishment. The U of T Faculty of Law has a long and notable tradition of fine student mooters, and we are enormously proud of Yousuf Aftab and Mark Elton for carrying on that tradition," says Brian Langille, Interim Dean and Professor of Law, at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law.

Coached by U of T law graduates Sidney McLean '05 and Ellen Snow '05, with help from reserve mooter, Amy Salyzyn '05, the winning students were generously sponsored by Toronto law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP and the U of T Law School.

2005 Commonwealth Moot Champions, Mark Elton and Yousuf Aftab (back row, left), at the Commonwealth Moot
(L-R): Pictured in front are Justices Mance (England and Wales Court of Appeal), Langa (Chief Justice of South Africa) and Goldberg (Australia). In the back row from left are U of T law students and 2005 Commonwealth Moot Champions, Mark Elton and Yousuf Aftab, with Benedict Rogers and Elizabeth Prochaska (a finalist team from City University, London).