Lankan law students shine in India
By Vidushi Seneviratne
From civil to criminal and administrative matters, the legal profession now seems to be one of the most sought after, for numerous young Sri Lankans. And when a team of promising young law students who had in common a love for oratory tried their skills at an International Moot Competition, they were no doubt, up against a formidable challenge.

Yet it was one they will remember for a long while, for they did the local legal fraternity proud.

The nine participants, all students of the Sri Lanka Law College, represented Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) Regional Moot Conference 2002. Held in Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala, India, the conference was from December 28 to 30, 2002.

The Sri Lankan delegation consisted of three teams, and had two counsels and one solicitor each. Sonali Siriwardene, Laila Nasry (counsels) and Manohara Jayasinghe (solicitor) made up one team while Kushlan Seneviratne, Neshan Gunasekera (counsels) and Shahrana Mowlana (solicitor) and Hejaaz Hizbullah, Pubudu Sachithanandan (counsels) and Deepthi Tilakawardane (solicitor) made up the other two. Sonali Siriwardene headed the overall Sri Lankan moot delegation.

Though almost 14 Indian law schools participated, the local teams performed excellently, securing almost all the best individual positions in the overall Mooting Competition. Hejaaz Hizbullah gained the highest scores overall and was awarded the trophy for South Asia's Best Mooter while Pubudu Sachithanandan was placed second and Sonali Siriwardena, fourth. The rankings of the other Sri Lankan team members too were high.

Formed in 1971, the Association aims to foster high standards of legal education and research within the Commonwealth. The conference held in Kerala was organised by the South Asian Chapter of CLEA.

For those of you in the dark, a moot is a legal argument on a point or points of law, presented so as to simulate, as closely as possible the experience of presenting a case in a real court. It is critical for anyone aspiring to enter the bar. What is vital in such moot competitions is not so much to win the legal aspect of it, but more so the presentation of your 'case'. But considering that a highly experienced judge sits at these competitions, participants should make sure that their presentation is not limited to oration and rhetoric.

There were three categories in which the competitors could participate; The Law Conference, The Law Student Conference and The Mooting Competition. Sri Lanka participated in both The Law Student Conference and The Mooting Competition. The case matter that they argued dealt with International Law.

Their performance in India has obviously encouraged the team members as well as their instructors, lecturers and the legal fraternity. Sri Lanka hopes to participate in two more recognised Mooting Competitions this year. Hejaaz Hizbullah, Pubudu Sachithanandan and Laila Nasry will be representing Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Legal Education Association Student Mooting Competition in Melbourne, which is to be held in mid-April this year while at the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Competition scheduled to be held from March 30 to April 5, in Washington D.C., U.S.A, the team will consist of Sonali Siriwardene, Kushlan Seneviratne and Neshan Gunesekera.

"Since the destination is one of the most expensive, we need sponsoring and funds for almost everything from air tickets to accommodation, meals and the other numerous expenses that are bound to come up," said Sonali. "This is the first time the Sri Lanka Law College is sending a team for this prestigious Mooting Competition, so it's vital that we get as much assistance from all concerned parties. Being a purely educational endeavour, we would greatly appreciate any financial or other support from airlines, companies, law firms and individuals in the legal field."

Originally founded in 1959, the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is an annual event co-sponsored by the International Law Students Association and the American Society of International Law. While almost 300 teams from around 50 nations will gather in Washington for the competition, the general practice is for most countries to send in multiple teams.

Such international exposure is a tremendous boost to the students. Mooting is an essential part of the legal profession and so, the opportunity to participate against international competitors while still being law students, would no doubt add to their expertise.

The team members who represented Sri Lanka at the CLEA Regional Moot Conference in Kerala were appreciative of the support they received from many quarters. "We would especially like to thank Dr. Joe Silva, Principal of the Sri Lanka Law College, Deputy Solicitor General, Mr. Palitha Fernando, Dr. Rohan Perera, Mr. Amithirigala, Prof. Lakshman Marasinghe and Fr. Noel Dias of Law Faculty, Colombo," said the captain of the delegation.

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