9th LAWASIA International Moot Competition 2014
So LAWASIA ended for us yesterday. My second time in the competition, although with different roles. Last year as a Student Volunteer and this year I've elevated my position to a Moot Participant.
Prior the competition, I kept asking myself why did I join it. Because it is so stressful. I had to juggle between my 3-month work/internship which ends at 1800 daily and the research which I do at night. And by the time I get back home, I want nothing to do with the laptop and just sleep. But I couldn't.
But I am grateful I joined it. I wouldn't have been able to know where I stand if I haven't subject myself to such an evaluation like this. Evaluation by sitting judges and practising lawyers.
Our session started at 1310 with Stephanie and Carmen as the first and second speaker respectively for the Claimants. I was the silent speaker then.
We were up against INTI. Stephanie and Carmen both spoke well. It was a tough fight between the two teams. We lost by 5 points though. The first speaker, Qin Ying, looked a little familiar to me. But I couldn't ascertain her identity because I did not know her full name. When the judges were deliberating, I approached her when we were outside.
"You look familiar. Have we met before?"
"I don't think so. But you look familiar too."
The moment she said that, it confirmed my suspicion and I know she was from Mewah already. She looked surprised when I asked that. But I explained myself. So yeap. Small world indeed.
After that round until our next session, MY next session at 1830, I couldn't really eat anything. I was nervous, and hungry. So I ate only a plate of noodles. But nothing more. I foresee if I fill my stomach, the anxiety will make me feel like puking.
We then went into the room and I assumed my position as the Second Respondent against USIM. We had nice and friendly opponents, and all this while my heart was beating loudly.
The claimants relied on "enabil tort". Throughout the competition I could not figure that out, because of their pronunciations and also I am not familiar with that tort. But... upon googling it, nothing. Um okay...
I was the last speaker, but I could feel my hands trembling. So I held on to my pen while I was talking, which it helped. I was surprised I could talk for 20 minutes long. (But if you asked me what I spoke for the entire 20 minutes, I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you anything.) Partly I kept telling myself to talk reaaally sloooowly. I felt like I stuttered a lot. But Stephanie said I didn't, and that I did great, better than my internal moot.
Haha. I had to agree to that.
At one point when one of the judges asked me about the opponent counsel's cases and how will that bind us, I couldn't remember what the cases were all about. So I casually asked for the Panel's permission to have the counsel repeat the principles of the cases again. When the judges were commenting us later on, they noted that such an action was inappropriate, and that I should already know what authorities they would be citing. I think it's understandable because we did not exchange any Bundle of Authorities or any documents at all. I think that the judges also did not know we exchanged nothing.
Having mooted in the court setting does have some setbacks in an arbitration mooting. I referred to the Arbitral Panel as the "Court" once, and I referred to the second claimant speaker as the Junior Counsel. They didn't understand where I was coming from. But upon my explanation, they got it. But still, I got told off because of these.
I admire Carmen for her quick thinking. Many a times when the judges asked something, or in her rebuttals, she manage to think of quick comebacks on the spot. Arguments which I wouldn't have thought of.
By the time we ended, it was almost 2030. We had to wait for quite some time for the results to be announced. We won the match by 64 points!
When it was announced, none of our teams made it to the finals. My team missed it by 7 marks. So close! But one happy thing about it was that, as I was reading the judge's commentaries, I found out that the Chairperson Arbitrator had said that I am the Best Speaker for my round!
I was pleasantly surprised by that, and for once, I truly am proud of myself. Other words like "Confidence level good." and "Has good potential." made my day too. This part of the competition has truly made my experience felt worthwhile. Together with my teammates, whom I believe because of them, my team is also one of the strongest.
By the time I got home, it was already 2200. So. Exhausting. Mentally and physically.
That being said, I'm just glad that this stressful ordeal is over.
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