Sussex Law School have kicked off the New Year in style, as LLM student Ryan Dowding and third-year LLB student Amelia Katz walked away with the King of the Bhutan Cup at the Inner Temple Intervarsity Moot Competition on Sunday.

The Competition, which is now in its tenth year, saw Ryan and Amelia moot five times in just one day as part of a knock-out contest. Starting at 9.45am, the Competition became progressively more difficult as lesser teams were eliminated, concluding with Ryan and Amelia defeating an impressive team from University College London (UCL).

Their victory marks Sussex Law School’s inaugural success in the prestigious Competition, which offers competitors the opportunity to hone their skills in legal argument in the surroundings of London’s Inner Temple Inn.

Craig Lind, who oversees Sussex Law School’s mooting activity and had previously judged an earlier semi-final, noted the quality of Ryan and Amelia’s efforts.

He said: “The UCL team seemed to me to have become unbeatable, yet Ryan and Amelia raised their game to a level I have rarely witnessed in mooting competitions before. They held their nerve with a steely and composed determination to become extremely deserving champions.”

Craig added that the judges praised the standard of Ryan and Amelia’s advocacy in the final, and were particularly impressed by their professionalism and legal finesse.

Ryan and Amelia will now go up against the winners of the prestigious ESU/Essex Court Moot in a contest due to take place in July 2016.

Photos published courtesy of King's College London.