Humber Polytechnic's mooting team made history by winning the Capital Cup National Undergraduate Mooting Competition hosted by Carleton University in Ottawa.
Students in the Bachelor of Paralegal Studies degree program became the first Humber team to win a national mooting competition.
Mooting simulates a court hearing where participants present arguments for or against an appeal from a precedent-setting court decision. Bernie Aron, program coordinator of the Bachelor of Paralegal Studies degree program, said that mooting competitions often feature appeals of decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada.
Aron said the students argue law based on legal precedents and must be prepared to argue both sides of the case - both on behalf of the appellant and the respondent.
The team of Dion Desserre and Maria Rausch Lima became the first in Humber's history to win a national mooting competition after they finished in first place at the 2024 Capital Cup National Mooting Competition. There were six universities - McGill University, Memorial University, Concordia University, the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and York University - taking part and Humber was the only polytechnic to enter.
"To see our teams finally breakthrough and be victorious was very exciting," said Aron.
Humber's other team of Grace Haapala and Kiran Matharu advanced to the quarterfinals and ultimately finished in fourth place.
"It feels very good to win and we're very proud - it was an unforgettable experience," said Lima. "Practicing and preparing for both sides gave us a deep understanding of the case. When the competition ended, I think we could recite the case in our sleep."
The case the teams were arguing was the 2024 Supreme Court of Canada decision R. v. Wolfe. It involved a driving case where the accused was charged with criminal negligence causing death. The Criminal Code of Canada had been amended to include a driving prohibition for those charged with dangerous driving causing death, but not specifically for criminal negligence causing death. The question was could the courts imply that the driving prohibition applies to both.
Desserre said participating in mooting competitions has been beneficial as it has allowed the team to develop their advocacy and oral presentation skills while increasing the understanding of the legal system. It has helped them organize arguments, interpret law and analyze and assess a case while boosting their confidence.
"This has developed my passion for the law and that has helped inspire me to continue my career in this field," said Desserre.
Both Desserre and Lima plan to find careers in the legal profession.
Meanwhile, the teams had support from coaches Paige Diebel and Mushfiq Mawla. Both are graduates of the Paralegal program with Diebel working as a litigation paralegal with Aviva Insurance while Mawla is a learning services assistant with Humber's Faculty of Media, Creative Arts, and Design.
"For the students who might want to go on to law school, taking part in mooting gives them an advantage," said Aron.
The winning team was also invited to compete in the University of Toronto Mooting Cup at the beginning of February and will also participate in the prestigious Osgoode Cup, Canada's largest and longest-running undergraduate mooting competition, in March.
