Legal eagles success at mooting competition

Budding legal eagles took to the stand to argue a gross negligence case at a University of Wolverhampton law competition.

Six schools took part in the regional mooting competition at the University’s mock courtroom.

Pupils from six local schools – SWB Bilston Academy, Highfields School in Wolverhampton, Solihull Sixth Form College, Halesowen College, Windsor High School and Sixth Form in Halesowen, and Holyhead School, Birmingham – took part in the event on Wednesday, 29 March 2017.‌

The judges decided the winners were SWB Bilston Academy, and they were presented with certificates and a cup by High Sheriff of the West Midlands, Dr Keith Bradshaw DL.

Hosted by the University of Wolverhampton Law School, the moot simulates a court hearing and participants analyse a legal problem, research the relevant law, prepare written submissions and present an argument.

The pupils were given a fictional scenario of gross negligence manslaughter and had to state the case in front of four judges.

They had to decide on a set of facts centred on a daughter who, knowing that her mother was very ill, decided to leave her for a weekend to go to party only to find that her mother had died.  The question was whether the daughter, knowing that her mother needed care and attention, was liable for her death on the grounds that she had breached a duty of care owed to her mother.