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.
The Lord Jones Moot Competition 