Maltese law students net European competition award

Forget football or waterpolo, Malta's winning streak is in the law courts, as a team of three students found out when they won a European moot court competition.

Law students Anna Abela, Andrew Sciberras and Lena Sammut beat off stiff adversity at the European moot competition - an extracurricular activity where students take part in simulated court proceedings - in Sofia, Bulgaria.

They participated after they answered a call by Eugene Buttigieg, a professor of EU law, to see whether any student was interested. Malta had never taken part in this competition, supported by top legal firm Clifford Chance, Cambridge University and the EU.

The Maltese team was very much the dark horse. "We were just aiming to get to the semi-final. The other teams were very well prepared; they had even won before," Ms Abela said.

Ms Sammut added: "They had a lot of knowhow, passed on from one team to another. In fact, most of their coaches had been competitors themselves before, so they knew how to get through the competition well."

The competition was spread over three rounds and in the first two rounds the teams had to debate six different cases - from both angles.

"There was a good argument for both sides," the group explained, and their performance pivoted on how the laws had to be interpreted.

Even though the group had aspired to the semi-final stage, the news of their success took them somewhat by surprise:

"They took us to a Bulgarian restaurant after the first round and there happened to be some very good wine. After the meal was over, the judges summoned us all and they announced we were in the semi-final. We were aiming for that but still couldn't believe it," Ms Abela recounted.

Following a hurried trek across the Bulgarian capital, the group spent most of the night polishing its act and revising its arguments, fortified by caffeine where adrenaline did not suffice. The following day, the team spent five hours debating against two other teams and, then, the group went to the University of Sofia's canteen, where they had "two tomatoes each" before the finalists were announced.

For some reason, the judges made sure the group was there and they "said we might as well go and listen and go back to our food".

The judges then announced the finalists were "Latvia ... and newcomers Malta".

While the rest of their food waited, the team did its eleventh-hour preparations in the courtyard because some of their arguments had been shot down in previous sessions.

The coin was tossed and the Maltese team got to argue as an applicant in front of a 12-strong jury, including the Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Communities, Eleanor Sharpston.

"We won," Ms Sammut said, still incredulous.

The team won a week's visit to Cambridge law school and they are very grateful towards Prof. Buttigieg, the law student's society and Air Malta, which sponsored the trip to Bulgaria.

"Many times Maltese students do not take these opportunities. We went and saw we actually compared rather well and our skills as lawyers improved considerably during these days. It turns out the education we are getting was enough for us to win," Ms Abela concluded.