The SMU team has once again emerged champions at the LAWASIA International Moot Competition held in Bangkok between 2 and 6 October 2014. The ninth edition of the competition organised by LawAsia, an international organisation focused on the interests of the legal profession in the region, was hosted at the Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Law. There were 33 participating teams from across the world this year, with the top 10 teams competing at the international rounds.
This year’s moot problem which third-year law undergraduates Mohammad Muzhaffar and Jillian Yeo Hui Ying, and fourth-year undergraduate Grace Sim Hui Xian had to tackle was one that was inspired by a recent incident – the 23 April 2013 factory collapse in Savar, Bangladesh, which killed more than 1,000 people and injured another 2,500, including many children in the company’s day care centre. Mooters were required to argue whether Spear Shirts, a mere customer, could be held liable for the injuries and death of Mae Sot Clothing’s employees in a factory fire. The moot problem required the mooters to brainstorm both from a commercial as well as legal perspective, and involved questions of private international law and international commercial arbitration.
Despite facing strong competition such as that from former Vis East champions Monash University and Vis East champions Loyola Los Angeles and Tsinghua University, the SMU team coached by alumnus Ms Eunice Chan won all eight of its matches. In beating The Chinese University of Hong Kong in the final round, SMU secured its second win in the competition. With this success, SMU has now reached the LawAsia finals five out of five times and records were also rewritten for the most number of finals appearances (five) and most number of consecutive finals appearances (also five). SMU's LawAsia win, its 10th international moot championship, follows its recent win in the Asia Cup Moot held in Tokyo in August this year.
Well done, SMU mooters!
[Featured photo: (L-R) Law undergraduates Mohammad Muzhaffar, Jillian Yeo Hui Ying and Grace Sim Hui Xian did SMU proud at the LAWASIA International Moot Competition 2014.]