Named for the Hon. Michel Bastarache, one of the greatest jurists and language rights advocates and a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, the moot is one of the most prestigious events for French-speaking law students in the country. Once more this year, several teams from different Canadian law schools took part.
Participating teams came from the University of Calgary, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Alberta, the University of Manitoba, the Université de Moncton and, of course, the University of Ottawa, Common Law Section.
Our uOttawa representatives, coached by Professor François Larocque, distinguished themselves by taking the Pierre Foucher award, given to the team with the best score for its factums. The team was comprised of Laurie St-Pierre, Widad Farah Damou, Valérie Pilote and Anaïs Kneppers. Kneppers also finished fourth for oral arguments for the moot as a whole.
“(Taking part in the moot) was a good personal challenge I’d want anyone to experience,” says Pilote, who participated in the finals on the Sunday. “It wasn’t just an opportunity to develop skills as a future lawyer, but also a unique experience that let me make connections with many people in law.”
The second year student didn’t hide that she was nervous after months of work. “It’s true that moots can seem intimidating and difficult. However, I recommend them because it’s the perfect time during our studies to take on new challenges. Since the end of the moot, I’ve wanted to start all over and argue my next case,” she says.
The event final featured an elite panel of judges made up of the Hon. Constance Hunt (Court of King’s Bench and Alberta Court of Appeal), the Hon. Paul Rouleau (Ontario Court of Appeal) and the Hon. Sébastien Grammond (Federal Court). The first two rounds of the moot were judged by several veteran jurists from various regions of Canada .
The moot organizing committee wishes to thank the Hon. Michel Bastarache, McLennan Ross and Power Law for their major contributions to the event. It would also like to thank the honourable judges Constance Hunt, Paul Rouleau and Sébastien Grammond, as well as the lawyers and future lawyers who took part in the event and everyone who made the fifth edition of the Michel Bastarache Moot Court Competition such a success.
Congratulations to all the participants for their outstanding performances this year. The winners can be proud of their achievements and we look forward to what the future has in store for them in the world of law.
Full moot results
Best pairs — chosen by the judges in the final matches
1st place: Éric Turcotte, Danielle Davyduke, Jina Bae — University of Saskatchewan
2nd place: Dominique Gibson, True Dash — University of Manitoba
Best mooters — oral arguments
1st place: Éric Turcotte — University of Saskatchewan
2nd place: Dominique Gibson — University of Manitoba
3rd place: Marie Boyd — University of Manitoba
4th place: Anaïs Kneppers — University of Ottawa
Pierre Foucher award (best factums)
1st place: University of Ottawa — Laurie St-Pierre, Widad Farah Damou, Anaïs Kneppers, Valérie Pilote
2nd place: Université de Moncton — Olivier Poirier, Simon Chiasson St-Cœur, Sue Duguay, Mitchell McGrath
Michel-Bastarache award (for a spirit of fair play, camaraderie and dedication to French)
Université de Moncton — Olivier Poirier, Simon Chiasson St-Cœur, Sue Duguay, Mitchell McGrath