Two St Catharine’s students have won the 2023 Cuppers Moot organised by the Cambridge University Law Society. Lily Greenhough and Vanessa Iheama, both second-year Law undergraduates, successfully represented the College in a moot court, which simulates a real-life court environment to give students the chance to apply knowledge of the law gained during their degree.
Vanessa explained, “I am aiming towards becoming a barrister and this moot has really helped me clarify that this is definitely the route I want to go down career-wise. Though it was certainly a lot of work, I had a lot of fun and feel that the experience has given me invaluable insight that will help me develop advocacy skills that I hope to take with me going forwards!”
Sponsored by Atkin Chambers, the 2023 competition attracted a total of 28 teams, each comprising two students from the same College. There were four successive rounds over the course of Lent Term, which tested students’ knowledge of different branches of law such as criminal, contract, and tort. Having qualified for the final, Vanessa and Lily were pitted against a team from Clare College but were able to continue their winning streak and claim their prizes (£250 each).
Left–right: Vanessa Iheama, Caspar Ramsay of Atkin Chambers and Lily Greenhough
Lily added, “I greatly enjoyed participating in the moot and was very surprised to have made it so far given the quality of the competition. Competing in the moot reinforced my desire to be a barrister as I genuinely enjoy all parts of the process – from the written prep to the oral advocacy. Having the final be judged by a barrister was particularly helpful for the development of my advocacy skills as he made helpful suggestions as to the style required in court.
“I particularly enjoyed the semi-final question which was about damages for negligence causing psychiatric harm to secondary victims (those who watch negligent harm to their loved ones). The leading case in this area (Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police) is about the Hillsborough disaster and has been heavily criticised. Being from Sheffield, I liked having the opportunity in the moot to argue that the law here should be overturned as I believe it is too restrictive.”
Responding to the news, Dr Peter Candy (2019), Fellow and Director of Studies in Law at St Catharine’s, commented:
“The Law Fellows at St Catharine’s are all delighted for Lily and Vanessa, whose victory in the Cuppers Moot is a significant achievement. The Cuppers Moot is a demanding competition, testing the participants’ advocacy skills and requiring dedication to progress through the rounds. Lily and Vanessa should be congratulated on their accomplishment!”
