by Ksenia Fedoseeva

The 2023-2024 edition of the UCLan Cyprus Annual Mooting Competition was once again successfully held by the University’s School of Law in cooperation with the Student Law Society.

The Semi-finals of the Mooting Competition took place on the 29th of February 2024, and presented a captivating spectacle with the closely matched counsels on both sides. Round 1 saw Noa Amakias-Caesar-Emakayes and Shan Rita Achilleos acting on behalf of the Appellant opposite Ksenia Fedoseeva and Georgiana Nicolaou who represented the Respondent. Round 2 proceeded with Lora Stylianou and Abdulaziz AM Twigiri appearing on behalf of the Appellant and battling Bilean Daniel Beraki and Mohamed Murad Mohamed Hamaima who acted as the Respondent’s counsel.

UCLan Cyprus Lecturers, Dr Katerina Kalaitzaki, Dr Maria Tatsiou, Dr Demetra Loizou and Dr Andreas Marcou, acted as the judges and the decision-making committee for the semi-finals.

The winning teams from the two Semi-Final rounds advanced to the Final of the Mooting Competition held on the 28th of March 2024. The finalists were Ksenia Fedoseeva and Georgiana Nicolaou, who acted on behalf of the Appellant and competed against Lora Stylianou and Abdulaziz AM Twigiri, who acted on behalf of the Respondent. The match-up proved to be a close one once again. The panel of three judges, chaired by His Honour Judge Nick Sanders, Resident Judge and HM Coroner of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, sitting alongside UCLan Cyprus Law Lecturers Dr Katerina Kalaitzaki and Dr Demetra Loizou, kept the mooters on their toes with insightful questions.

Both pairs impressed the judges and the audience with admirable advocacy skills and an excellent understanding of the legal topics covered in the appeal case at hand. Following an intense exchange of arguments, Ksenia Fedoseeva and Georgiana Nicolaou emerged as the champions of the Mooting Competition of the academic year 2023-2024.

The University expresses its appreciation to His Honour Judge Nick Sanders for dedicating time to adjudicate the final round, and his contribution to the experience was invaluable for the participating students and attendees alike. Once again, the mooting competition has underlined the importance of practically applying legal knowledge in a professional and high intensity environment that cultivates crucial skills for future legal practitioners.