IRLM 2013
Mooting Rules
1. Etiquette & Respect
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Addressing the judges:
“My Lord, My Lady, Your Excellencies” or “Mr. President” (however when using the
phrase Mr. President make absolutely sure he is presiding).
Do not say “Good morning/evening My Lord”, the occasion is a formal one and more
casual language is discouraged.
Begin your speech with the standard phrase:
“Your Excellencies, may it please the court, my name is Julius Ceasar and I appear
before you today on behalf of the claimant concerning the rei vindicatio brought by him
against the defendant.”
When making submissions substitute phrases such as “we think”, “we believe” with
more formal ones like, “we submit, we contend, it is the claimant’s/defendant’s respectful
submission”.
When the judge corrects you always use the standard phrase: “I stand corrected my
Lord/Lady”. A small bow of the head is in order when saying this.
Be sure not to ask for too many permissions. Be respectful but do not overdo it. Avoid
phrases like “If your lordship please, may I now turn to my first submission?” You are
wasting valuable time on redundant courtesies.
Avoid language that is only appropriate for written submissions such as: “as referred
above, as stated below etc.”.
When ending your submissions always close with the phrase:
“My Lords, seeing that my time has elapsed, unless I can be of any further assistance to
the court , this concludes my arguments on the case, Thank you for your kind attention”.
Make sure that you do not gradually lower your voice while ending; you want to leave
with confidence and make a lasting impression to the judges.
If you have passed the time limit ask the judges for a few moments to conclude:
“My Lords, I realize that my time is up, may I take a minute to conclude my
arguments/answer your question?”
Adress your team mate and the opposition as “my learnt friend” or “learnt colleague”
(not “learned friend”)
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IRLM 2013
2. Answering Questions
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Do not thank the judge for his question. It is his job to ask you questions and it is yours
to answer them.
Always pause for 2 seconds after a question, even if you know the answer. This way you
show that you are contemplating the question. After all showing that you can think on
your feet leaves a much better impression than showing that you have prepared
thoroughly.
Do not be afraid to ask the judge to repeat the question if you did not hear itor understand
it “I’m afraid I did not hear Your Lordship’s question, if you would be so kind as to
repeat it/explain.”
It is usual for judges to ask questions which are discussed later in your submissions. Do
not dismiss the judge’s question. Answer it briefly, and state that you will discuss the
issue more thoroughly in your next submissions.
Another option is jumping straight to the part of your submissions, which covers the
question and continuing the speech from there. Do this only if the judge seems
unsatisfied with your prior submission and wants you to abandon it.
It is normal for judges to ask hypothetical questions. Do not dismiss them because they
do not apply to the facts of the case that is after all the nature of hypothetical questions,
they are based on a hypothesis. Use the question to your advantage; answer it and then
explain that this is not what happened in our case, and therefore it is your client who is
right according to the facts and the rule of law.
If you do not know the answer to a question do not try to avoid it and simply say: “My
Lord, I regret I cannot be of any assistance on this issue.”. Thorough preparation will
spare you the humiliation of using this phrase.
3. Using Authorities
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Never say all the letters and numbers in an authority ex. C.8.48.3. Simply refer the
judges to the number of the authority on your handout.
Use the phrase: “As stated by Ulpianus/Pomponius etc. in the Digest/ Codex, number 4
on your handout…”
Try to avoid excessive quotations from your authorities, and in particular lengthy
quotations.
Try to incorporate some of the Latin phrases in your speech. Specifically ones, which are
memorable and commonly known ex. “nullum crimen nulla poena sine lege.
It is often a good idea to try to weave authorities into your responses to questions, this
shows familiarity with the material and tends to forestall any lengthy series of questions.
4. Presentation & Dressing
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Make sure you are properly dressed before you stand on the podium. You do not want to
be standing there adjusting your tie or doing your buttons.
Stand straight without putting all your weight on one leg. Keep your feet shoulder width
apart. You want to convey confidence, not insecurity.
Keep your hands on the podium, palms facing down, without however leaning on it.
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IRLM 2013
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Keep you hand gestures to a minimum. Use gestures in specific parts of your
submissions that you have already rehearsed.
Avoid fidgeting with your hair, lips etc. while on the podium. For this reason it is advised
not to stand on the podium holding a pen because fidgeting with it is inevitable.
Try to maintain eye contact with the judges throughout your speech. This is crucial in
order to build rapport and to convey your arguments to the bench.
Control your voice and your tempo. Slow down. Most mooters’ problem is speaking too
quickly. Speak clearly and with confidence
Avoid making sounds between phrases such as “eh” or “um”. Use pauses instead.
A moot competition is a formal occasion and thus the dress code is formal. This means:
i. Men: a two-piece suit, preferably in navy, black or charcoal grey, a dress shirt
preferably in white or light blue, a pair of dress shoes and a formal tie.
ii. Women: trousers and a suit, or failing that, a skirt at least knee-length. A business
shirt (the same principles that apply for men apply for women) and a pair of formal
shoes. Heels are fine but nothing very high or extravagant. You want the judge
watching you not your new pair of high heels.
5. Structure & Time Management
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In the beginning of your speech, after introducing yourself and your co-counsel you
should introduce your case. Outline your case and briefly state the main 2 or 3 arguments
of your submission.
In order to make the structure of your speech even clearer use the technique of
signposting. This is the equivalent of topic sentences and closing sentences in essays. In
the beginning of each of your arguments state what it is you will be submitting and at the
end summarize your submission. Sign posting helps the judge follow your arguments and
helps you from losing your train of thought.
The counter-part to your skeleton arguments in the beginning is a summary of your
submissions in the conclusion of your speech.
No moot ever goes as planned. Sometimes the judges ask too many questions and
sidetrack you and others the judges ask too little questions. The answer to this is being
flexible with your speech, and always aware of your time. However avoid saying things
as “My Lord I am conscious of the time so I now move to my third submission”. Such
phrases draw attention to your poor time management.
Always adhere to the time limits and if need be ask for some extra time using the
standard phrase, as is stated above: “My Lords, I realize that my time is up, may I take a
minute to conclude my arguments/answer your question?”
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