Lenczner Slaght/CBA Gale Cup Moot takes place Feb 22-23; celebrates 40 years of excellence

  • February 20, 2013

TORONTO - The 2013 Lenczner Slaght/Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Gale Cup Moot, one of Canada’s most prestigious bilingual law school mooting competitions, takes place February 22-23 at Osgoode Hall in Toronto, with 18 law schools from across Canada participating.

To recognize 40 years of excellence in mooting, this year’s competition will feature a celebration of the Gale Cup’s history. “For 40 years, the Gale Cup Moot has allowed law students to experience what it’s like to appear before a court,” says CBA Vice-President Fred Headon of Montreal, who will attend the Gale Cup Moot. “The CBA applauds the many law students who have participated in the past as well as those who are honing their advocacy skills by participating in this year’s competition.”

The competition will open with a special welcome reception in the newly refurbished lobby of Lenczner Slaght’s offices on Friday, February 22. “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of this world-class competition,” said Peter H. Griffin, Managing Partner of Lenczner Slaght. “The Gale Cup Moot has a rich history and a bright future.” In addition to the Gale Cup and other team and individual awards, the McLachlin Prize will be awarded to the best female mooter on Saturday, February 23 at Osgoode Hall. Justice Richard Wagner of the Supreme Court of Canada will deliver the after-dinner keynote address at the gala awards banquet.

This year’s case is R. v. D.A.I., 2012 SCC 5, [2012] 1 S.C.R. 149, which addresses the testimonial competence of adults with mental disabilities. In that case, the accused was charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman with the mental age ofa three- to six-year-old. The accused was acquitted at trial because the complainant was found incompetent to testify, and the Ontario Court of Appeal affirmed this result.

The majority of the Supreme Court of Canada (Binnie, LeBel and Fish JJ. dissenting) allowed the appeal, set aside the acquittal and ordered a new trial. The Gale Cup provides a unique forum for law students to debate this difficult issue: balancing the rights of the accused with the need to protect vulnerable persons from abuse.

Students taking part in the Lenczner Slaght/CBA Gale Cup Moot are permitted to moot in either English or French, with simultaneous translation provided for oral arguments. The winner of the competition will represent Canada at the Commonwealth Moot in Cape Town, South Africa, April 14-17, 2013.

The 2013 judging panel will be released shortly before the event commences. All events are open to accredited media. To obtain accreditation, please contact Melanie Battaglia of Lenczner Slaght at 416 865-3718.

Founded in 1974, the Lenczner Slaght/CBA Gale Cup Moot (formerly the Gale Cup) provides top law students across the country with the chance to argue a Constitutional law case before three judge panels hearing a mock appeal from a real-world decision of the Supreme Court of Canada. Judges from across Canada make up the judging panels. Alumni of the Gale Cup include some of Canada’s best known lawyers and most respected legal minds, such as Justice Thomas Cromwell of the Supreme Court of Canada, who won the Gale Cup Moot in 1976.

For more information on the Lenczner Slaght/CBA Gale Cup Moot, visit www.galecupmoot.com.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Melanie Battaglia, Lenczner Slaght: 416 865-3718
Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association: 613 237-2925, ext. 146

About Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP
Lenczner Slaght is widely recognized as Canada’s leading litigation practice. The firm has successfully represented clients’ interests in complex, high profile cases across the country. Lenczner Slaght’s lawyers are distinguished by their depth of courtroom experience, appearing regularly at all levels of the federal and provincial courts and before professional and regulatory tribunals, as well as in mediation and arbitration proceedings. The firm is also known for its wealth of talent: the firm’s partners, ranked among the best of their peers nationally, lead a recruitment and mentoring program that attracts gifted litigators who are committed to upholding the highest professional standards. From commercial disputes, class actions and cross-border disputes to administrative law and professional regulation, Lenczner Slaght brings expert strategy and tactics – backed by rigorous research, skilled data management and solid administrative support – to demanding cases in all areas of litigation.

About the Canadian Bar Association
As the voice and advocate of the Canadian legal profession, the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) is dedicated to supporting the rule of law, protecting the core values of the profession, and improving the administration of justice in Canada and around the world. With more than 37,000 members across Canada – including lawyers, law teachers and law students – and offices in each province and territory, the CBA enhances the influence of the profession by providing a platform to showcase talents through participation in legislative and legal reform. In its leadership role, the CBA serves the business interests of lawyers through the delivery of accredited professional development programs.

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