Mooting Down Under
Laila Nasry relives the ups and downs of a legal cum travel experience

Seated in a taxi speeding at hundred down a highway, I stare at the two unshaven faces before me and I'm glad it's not a dream. After three flights, a six-hour transit in a SARS infected country (masked and hardly breathing)… and what seemed like travelling forever, Hejaaz, Pubudu and I, chosen to represent Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Legal Education Association Mooting Competition, are finally in Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne, as I soon find out, is a potpourri of varied ethnicity… one doesn't have to look far… a British immigration officer, a Chinese customs officer, a Lebanese cab driver and throughout my trip I'm left amazed at the cultural diversity on offer be it at Chinatown, the French quarter, Greek quarter or the city centre.

For an eye used to seeing the Colombo chaos, Melbourne is hard to take in… perfect lane coordination and the smooth flow of traffic along the broad roads fringed with grassy slopes and blushing autumn trees… Not a vehicle belched smoke, tooted a horn and no driver yelled obscenities… the change is simply too much to take!

Melbourne in autumn is very cold, and for those of us from the tropics, braving the cold took some effort. It doesn't help at all when all one is wearing is shorts (like my bright spark of a teammate soon found out). But not one to accept that he got his seasons mixed up, he insisted on wearing his shorts and walking around looking like a passenger who was enroute to the Bahamas and was mistakenly left behind!

For the four days prior to the competition we stayed with a school friend and her husband. A law student herself at the Monash University, she took us to the university, where we spent a day in the library doing more research and preparing for the competition. The law library is absolutely impressive. Here you really know what it is to have the law at your fingertips! After hours of getting voluntarily lost among the books we settled down in a soundproof room for our discourse.

The day before we left for Kings gate Hotel (where we were to stay for the days of the competition) our legal submissions were finalized. We needed to get photocopies of it and so we were directed to 'Office works'; a kind of 'Salaka' in Australia. Having got off the tram and trudging in that direction we were met by a middle aged Aussie lady walking towards us. She looked squarely at one of the guys, with a broad smile and went "hi, gorgeous". His smile in return out did the sun… he would have replied had it not been for the little girl who ran up from somewhere behind us with a yell of joy… mommy! Our laughter was uncontrollable. (He's going to kill me for this!)

The team briefing at the hotel was our first meeting with our would-be opponents and roommates. I hide my laughter when I see my teammates having the 'fortune' of rooming with a six feet three inches tall law student cum Army officer from Vanuatu, Aca (pronounced Atha and soon dubbed Etha (elephant) by them.) They tell me later that they let him have the big bed and large closet space! After brief introductions we are told of the times, venue, rules, regulations and other arrangements coordinated by the organizers and the welcome reception that night.

The reception was at the 'Palladium' in the Crown Complex, which is like a miniature city. After getting lost among Roulette tables we find ourselves there. Wow.

After mingling for a while, with a similarly awestruck Indian team as company we spot Lord Justice Philip of Worth Matravers of the Court of Appeal of the United Kingdom whose judgment we quote in the course of our arguments. Amazed at our luck we don't let it pass. Taking the singular honour upon us we introduce ourselves and as the conversation progressed we gather some vital tips on advocacy skills.

Our moot is in one of the Melbourne Supreme Courts.

The courtroom is awe-inspiring. Wood panelled walls, teak trimmings, velvet curtains... Our opponents, the team from the United Kingdom (the defending champs) walk in coach et al. wearing rehearsed smiles with dockets twice the size of ours. The clock ticks, the moment is fast approaching and a little past nine the three judges walk in and the moot court is in session.

Three months of research, reading and hard work is argued, tested, disputed and granted. Tensions run higher than the Rialto tower (the tallest building in Melbourne and in the Southern hemisphere) and finally it's all over. Court is adjourned. The judges go in for deliberation.

The next fifteen minutes is killing. Seated on the benches outside the courtroom we are joined by our Sri Lankan friend (who becomes our lone supporter) wishing us 'suba aluth avurudu'. A local face at that time is very reassuring. We fill him in on the days proceedings while time crawls.

Recalled to the courtroom to hear the judges' comments, my stomach does a thousand summersaults. It's all a haze now but what stands out distinctly in my memory are the words "we hold with the respondents" (that's us) and the cherry to top it off is us winning the moot, beating the UK team by a four point margin (pay back time for our former colonial masters, eh?!).

That afternoon we begin preparing for the following day's moot against the Caribbean team.

The next day after a good night's sleep, we are in courtroom number two. Our one man cheering squad is there too. Moot begins at nine. The tough presiding judge asks a lot of questions, answers are followed by more questions; "counsel are you sure"…"Don't you think your interpretation is incorrect?"

At the end of the moot comes the same agonizing process of waiting for results. However, this time the deliberation time is shorter, the judges reconvene sooner. The comments are long drawn and just when on the brink of one's patience, the results are announced. We have won by eighty points (highest victory in the competition) and the judges hold with the Sri Lankan team.

Two out of two... yes, we are grinning.

That evening all teams meet in the hotel lobby where the notice stating the semi finalists is posted. The competition was based on a point system, irrespective of a win or loss, the four teams with the highest number of points got into the semi finals. Ranked sixth, Sri Lanka did not make it but remained the only unbeaten team in the competition. The United Kingdom who lost to us in the first moot went on to win the Turnbull Shield.

Dinner (arranged for by the organizers) at the 'Bergerac', a swanky French restaurant, did nothing to lift our spirits. To add to it the food was far from très bien… as remarked by one of the competitors "What was that we just ate? Goat dung?!!" Nevertheless dinnertime conversations went down well, with everyone taking their turn to have a go at George W. Bush and his policies!

In the four days left after the competition we packed in as many sights and outings as possible. Shark feed at the Melbourne aquarium followed by a wild and wacky under water ride hanging on for dear life and wishing for the hundredth time I had addressed that nature call when it called.

On a clear day, together with the Indian team, we took a tour down the Great Ocean Road, which runs along the south Australian coast offering a vista of the great Pacific. The scenery is absolutely breath taking. Rolling grassy cliffs dropping sharply to the aqua blue ocean on one side and on the other hardened volcanic rock, its jagged edges glinting blue-gray in the morning sunlight.

Our morning break on a grassy bank along a little stream is true Aussie style with our driver cum tour guide swinging the billy and serving us freshly brewed tea. Back on the bus and driving along to the tune of 'Waltzing Matilda', we pass through the Centenary Arch built after World War I with a quaint board dangling on its hinges reading 'Great Ocean Road', catch a glimpse of the split point lighthouse, precariously balancing on a split rock, Fair Haven beach an obvious surfers paradise, the water dotted with black wet suits.

A bend in the road and the scenery changes to tall gum trees. Suddenly there is much excitement. A Koala bear has been spotted high up on a tree. We make our way to the front of the coach and crane our necks to see it. The Koala is asleep and oblivious to the fact that around 20 persons are getting a great rear view and photographing it!!!!

The Lock Ard gorge, our next stop, got its name after the ship 'Lock Ard' was wrecked a few miles from shore. As the story goes, the deckhand, Tom, had rescued Eva, a high society missus, brought her ashore, revived her with brandy and kept her in the limestone cave until the storm ceased.

The highlight of the tour is the Twelve Apostles. Once part of the mainland, the huge lime stone rock, with the passing of time had separated at various places along the coast and now stands alone, firm and unrelenting. It's a geographical marvel one doesn't tire of easily.

A trip to Australia would not be complete without a glimpse of the Sydney Opera House. I got more than a glimpse with a friend staying just a stone's throw away from the water's edge across which stood the magnificent structure. After seeing it on measly coasters and other Aussie souvenir material, the splendour of the real thing in all its gigantic proportion just floored me.

I found Sydney laid back and relaxing. Lots of open spaces in parks, beaches or just grassy slopes… certainly appealed to the out-of-doors side in me. Our days were devoted to pure sight seeing. For most of our stay the perfect weather complemented our intentions, permitting ferry rides to Darling harbour, Circular Quay, strolls around the Sydney Opera House, long walks along the craggy cliffs at Watson's Bay, playing Australian footie (our version) with an empty coke can in Manly, cuddling Koalas at the Koala park and even when the weather didn't hold, it never put a damper on things with my friend swimming in the rain at Bondi beach in spite of a drastic drop in the temperature and natives running for cover.

On Anzac day we joined the patriots for the street parade. Balancing on a parapet wall clinging on to a lamp post and braving the drizzle, I watch distinguished looking silver haired gentlemen, Australia's brave naval officers, sailors… marching, chests decorated with medals thrust forward with pride. Followed by the women medical corps, war correspondents, descendent of officers.

We had been told that a tour of the Blue Mountains was a 'must do'. After a tour of the Olympic stadium in Homebush Bay, which brings back a flood of memories of our very own Susanthika's Bronze medal run we head to the Blue Mountains, the catchment area of New South Wales. Deemed a world heritage site, the name originated due to the permanent blue haze which envelopes the mountain ranges. An hour and a half walk down the steep slopes at the edge of the mountain cliff and a cable car ride back up leaves me breathless. On our way back at the Katoomba National park I get my first glimpse of bouncing kangaroos.

After nearly a month of being away I'm back now… to the chaos of Colombo, the grind at Law College and the chores at home. But my smile remains intact for I'm back richer… with a wealth of experience, four reels of wonderful memories and two great friends.

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