About

The Scots Inter-varsity Mooting Competition was launched in 2016 by Chloe Anderson, the then Vice President of the University of Dundee Mooting Society. Following the untimely death of the society’s honorary president, Lord Jones, the competition was renamed in his honour.

With a Scots Law problem, the Lord Jones Moot has become a key date in the Scottish universities’ mooting calendar. Held annually in February, it offers an opportunity for law students in Scotland to come together to network, further their advocacy skills and moot in an intense competitive environment over the course of a single day.

The competition follows the Inner Temple style with teams preparing both sides of the problem and being given just ten minutes notice of which side they will advocate on behalf of in each moot. Over the course of the day each team moots numerous times before the highest scoring teams go forward to compete in the latter stages and, ultimately, in the final.

Details of the 2024 competition will follow in autumn 2023, with an invitation to enter being sent to all Scottish law schools. For further information, please do fill in the contact form below.

Contact

2022/2023 Competition

The 2023 DWF Lord Jones Mooting Competition was held in February 2023 at the Scrymgeour Building, home of Dundee Law School. Twelve teams from eight universities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling and Abertay) attended and appeared before members of Faculty and leading Scots legal academics. The teams mooted both sides of a delictual issue of vicarious liability, before the strongest performers advanced to the knockout stages. The business end of the competition saw a first semi-final appearance for teams representing Abertay and Edinburgh Napier, and the latter went on to win the Final, which was judged by Lady Drummond.

Prizes were kindly provided by DWF for the winners and runners-up, who also funded the catering provided to participants on the day. Dundee’s Mooting Society was delighted that the event was such a success, with all involved having an enjoyable time in Dundee.

For the Scottish Legal News coverage of the event please see – https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/napier-wins-lord-jones-moot-competition-2023

To enter this year’s competition please contact law-mooting@dundee.ac.uk

Lord Jones

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Previously referred to as the Scottish Inter-varsity Moot, the competition has been renamed in honour of the late Michael Jones, Lord Jones, a Dundee graduate who judged the final in 2016 and was instrumental in the founding of the competition.

Lord Jones held roles across the legal spectrum over the course of his career and became one of the most distinguished graduates of the Dundee Law School.  As a qualified advocate, as well as a barrister in England, he was appointed as a QC in 1989 and appeared in many high profile cases, including the inquiries into the Piper Alpha disaster and the Dunblane massacre. In 2008, Lord Jones left the Scottish bar to become a senior partner at Simpson and Marwick overseeing dispute resolution and advocacy groups.

Prior to becoming a solicitor Lord Jones had held temporary positions on numerous tribunals and had acted as a judge on the Court of Appeals for Jersey. In June 2012 he was appointed as a Senator of the College of Justice, a position he held prior to his passing in March 2016.

As well as his professional endeavours, Lord Jones was an avid supporter of advocacy training and of mooting in particular. He was prominent in the teaching of advocacy courses within the Faculty of Advocates and also selflessly gave his time to provide advocacy workshops to students at the University of Dundee, his alma mater.

By organising an annual mooting competition in Lord Jones’ name, it is the intention of the University of Dundee Mooting Society that advocacy skills in Scots Law universities will continue to develop in his honour.