The Brock University Mooting Society put their legal knowledge and public speaking skills to the test at the fifth annual Western Cup Moot Court Competition on Oct. 4, arguing a case before judges consisting of law students and professionals in the field.
The competition saw members of the club deliver oral arguments in Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick v. Canada, a case involving the linguistic rights of Acadians in New Brunswick and whether the province’s lieutenant governor should be bilingual.
In preparation for the competition, the club held a brainstorming session where members would partner off to practice different parts of the case. Participants prepared arguments for both the Crown and the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick, developing their understanding of the case.
For vice-president of mooting Aiden Sheppard, the experience offered an opportunity to engage with constitutional law while learning how to present complex information concisely.
The case also raised important questions of representation in New Brunswick, which largely consists of an anglophone population.
“It helps not only the symbolic, but also for the Acadians to feel accepted into their society,” Sheppard said in an interview with The Brock Press.
Despite the club’s preparation, mooting revolves around adapting to judges and the opposing counsel’s questions.
Wenyang Ming, who has participated in moots since 2023, told TBP that judges often ask questions designed to test participants’ knowledge or challenge their reasoning.
“The judges are going to throw you questions to either purposely trick you or [test your] knowledge,” said Ming.
For first-time mooter Sheppard, some questions from the judges were surprisingly straightforward. He found himself wondering whether there was a deeper meaning behind certain questions, rather than simply answering them at face value.
One question challenged him to consider how the lieutenant governor’s office should represent other minority groups. Sheppard said he agreed with the point before continuing to develop his argument.
The experience demonstrated how mooting requires participants to think on their feet rather than rely entirely on prepared speeches.
Ming compared the competition to a varsity sport.
“Once you’re on your feet, that’s when you’re living the game. You just run with it, you just play, you just have fun,” he said.
Ming also encourages new members to accept that making mistakes is a part of their learning process. It is important for members to figure out how to argue cases in their own way.
“Even amongst the top courts of the country, they disagree,” said Ming.
The feedback members receive during the competition is one of the most important parts of the experience. The Brock team faced an experienced litigator in their first round, giving members the opportunity to practice arguments in front of a judge with a strong practical legal background.
Ming said receiving feedback was validating, especially because it showed the team that members could not only understand the material but also apply it and make persuasive arguments before legal professionals.
“It was really helpful for me to learn [from] the feedback from the judges but also from the opposing counsel,” said Sheppard.
Beyond legal knowledge, the club offers members an opportunity to strengthen their public speaking skills and learn how to present complex information in a concise manner. The experience also taught Sheppard how to handle the pressure of presenting arguments in a quiet courtroom, where every question demands a response.
“The silence is deafening in the rooms,” he said, describing the atmosphere of the competition. “That pressure builds you.”
Looking back on the competition, Sheppard said the experience strengthened his interest in studying legal cases.
“I just really enjoyed it all of it in retrospect, and it really ignited my passion in studying legal cases,” he said.
The Brock Mooting Society will continue to build on the experience gained at the Western Cup, with members taking the feedback and skills developed at the competition into future moots.