Feature: First Place Verdict for Trinidadian Law School Student at the Hague, Netherlands

From left are: Russell Warner (winner of best defence counsel award), two unidentified female judges from the competition, Johanan Doughlin (research), Kevin Webster, Mansergh Griffith and coach Roger Ramgoolam (Course Director Hugh Wooding law school) The other woman is another judge from the competition.

Russell Warner, a 2nd year student and member of The Hugh Wooding Law School team defeated top tier international competitors to take the first place trophy for Best Defence Counsel at the recent International Criminal Court Mooting competition held at the Hague in the Netherlands. 

Warner was a member of a team that included Johanan Doughlin (Grenada), Kevin Webster (Barbados), Mansergh Griffith (Trinidad) and coach Roger Ramgoolam (Trinidad - Course Director Hugh Wooding Law school.)

It was Hugh Wooding's first entry into the competition. The teams presented arguments based on a hypothetical situation using principles of international criminal law applied by the International Criminal Court, and based on the Rome Statute of which Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory.

The qualifying rounds of the competition were held at Pace University New York, USA in February 2012. 

Of the 26 teams involved, early favourites Harvard and Yale failed to make it to the finals. The Hugh Wooding Law School team qualified as the sole representative from the Caribbean region. 

In winning the award, Russell Warner beat several international entrants from the USA, Osgoode Hall law school (Canada), Miami University and the University of Hong Kong.

 The TEAM - From left: Mansergh Griffith, coach Roger Ramgoolam (Course Director Hugh Wooding law school), Kevin Webster  and Russell Warner (winner of best defence counsel award)

Hugh Wooding law school is one of three law schools established by the Council of Legal Education, a body constituted to administer the vocational training aspect of legal education in the Caribbean. The other two are Norman Manley law school in Jamaica and Eugene Du Puch law school in the Bahamas.