uOttawa Tort Moot Team Brings Home Award for “Best Team” at the 2022 Tort Law Moot Competition

By Common Law

Communication, Faculty of Law

Awards and recognition
uOttawa Tort Moot Team Brings Home Award for “Best Team” at the 2022 Tort Law Moot Competition
We are pleased to announce that uOttawa took home first place at the first-ever Tort Law Moot Competition on February 18-19, 2022. The 2022 uOttawa team was composed of Wiliston Mason (Common Law 2L) and Mariana Llanos (Common Law 2L) representing the respondents, and Julie Huber (Common Law 2L) and Bethany Keeshan (Common Law 3L) representing the appellants. Working together virtually in two different time zones and four different cities, the team researched and drafted two facta in a span of three weeks, and prepared their oral arguments in two weeks.

The Tort Law Moot Competition is designed to promote advocacy and excellence in the fields of tort, insurance and health law.

The 2022 Moot Problem applied Section 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act, which allows a court to summarily dismiss a proceeding that unduly limits expression relating to a matter of public interest, to a defamation case involving a medical professional and a LGBTQIA+ social media influencer.

The uOttawa team argued virtually before practitioners and jurists, including experts in the fields of constitutional law, medical malpractice, and personal injury. uOttawa’s respondent team, Wiliston and Mariana, advanced through three intensive oral rounds, ending with an impressive win against the University of Windsor’s appellant team.

The uOttawa respondent team won the award for Best Team. Judges commended the uOttawa team’s strong oral advocacy skills, understanding of the issues, and ability to thoughtfully address questions from the bench.

The team thanks their coaches—Jennifer Arrigo and Emily McMurtry—for their continuous mentorship and support. The team also thanks Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP - Personal Injury Lawyers for hosting the competition; the many practitioners and jurists who generously volunteered their time; and the Ontario Bar Association for being this year’s broadcasting sponsor.