UCL Laws alumni secure victory at the Inner Temple Magna Carta Moot

The moot is a celebration of the Magna Carta, a charter published in 1215 to protect the liberty of the subject. Every year, it brings together the winners of two of the most prestigious mooting competitions in the country: the Inner Temple Intervarsity and the ESU-Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition.

Neeva Desai and Robert Shu - former UCL Laws LLB students who graduated in 2019 - were invited to represent UCL in the Magna Moot, having won the Inner Temple Intervarsity earlier this year. Together with their opponents, Oxford Brookes University, the teams were asked to prepare on a problem regarding a parental order over a child conceived through a surrogacy arrangement.

Monday night’s moot was attended by an audience of 150, many of whom were aspiring barristers. The outcome of the moot was decided by an esteemed panel of five judges:

• The Master Treasurer, Lord Hughes;
• Master of the Bench and President of the Queen’s Bench Division, Dame Victoria Sharp;
• Master of the Bench, Lady Justice King;
• Her Honour Judge Anupama Thompson; and
• The Master of Mooting, Christopher Brougham QC.

After deliberating for half an hour, the judges returned to award UCL Laws with the victory.

The team would like to thank Dr Rob George, Reader in Family Law at UCL Laws, for his invaluable assistance.

Image: (L-R) Her Honour Judge Anupama Thompson, Lord Hughes, Robert Shu, Neeva Desai, Dame Victoria Sharp, Lady Justice King, Christopher Brougham QC