TABLE OF CONTENTS
OFFICIAL RULE 1.0 Definition 1
1.1 Abbreviations 1
1.2 General Definition 1
1.3 Interpretation 2
OFFICIAL RULE 2.0 Organisation of the Competition 2
2.1 Administration 2
2.1.1 Competition Director 2
2.1.2 Administrator(s) 2
2.2 Structure of the Competition 3
OFFICIAL RULE 3.0 Participation and Eligibility 3
3.1 Team Eligibility 3
3.2 Registration 3
3.3 Team Number as Identification 3
3.4 Team Composition and Selection 3
3.5 Minimum requirements for Team member eligibility 3
3.6 Ineligibility 4
3.6.1 With Reference to Team Members 4
3.6.2 With Reference to improper outside assistance 4
3.6.3 With Reference to the use of Opposing Team’s Memorials and Arguments 4
3.7 Problem Clarifications 4
OFFICIAL RULE 4.0 Judges 5
4.1 Eligibility of Persons to Judge 5
4.2 Commentary by Judges 5
OFFICIAL RULE 5.0 Memorials 5
5.1 Submission of Memorials 5
5.2 Language of Memorials 5
5.3 Format of Memorials 6
5.4 Description of the Memorial 6
5.4.1 Parts of the Memorial 6
5.4.2 Legal Argument Limited to Pleading Section 6
5.4.3 Covers 6
5.4.4 Index of Authorities 7
5.4.5 Bundle(s) of Authorities 7
5.4.6 Statement of Facts 7
5.4.7 Summary of Pleadings 7
5.5 Length 8
5.6 Limitations on the Use of Footnotes 8
5.7 Anonymity in Memorials 8
OFFICIAL RULE 6.0 Oral Pleading Procedures 8
6.1 Language of Pleadings 8
6.2 General Procedures 9
6.2.1 Extension of Time at Judges’ Discretion 9
6.3 Pleadings 9
6.3.1 Rebuttal and Surrebuttal 9
6.3.2 Scope of Pleadings 9
6.4 Ex Parte Procedure 10
6.5 Competition Communications 10
6.5.1 Oral Courtroom Communication between Counsel and Judges 10
6.5.2 Oral Courtroom Communication and Activity at Counsel Table 10
6.5.3 Written Courtroom Communication 10
6.6 Spectators 10
6.6.1 Scouting 10
6.7 Audio and Videotaping 11
6.8 Computers and Laptops in Courtrooms 11
OFFICIAL RULE 7.0 Competition Pairing Procedures 11
7.1 Preliminary Rounds 11
7.1.1 Pairings for Preliminary Rounds 11
7.2 Advanced Rounds 12
7.2.1 Octafinal Rounds 12
7.2.2 Quarterfinal Rounds, Semifinal Rounds, and Final Round 12
7.3 Pairings for Advanced Rounds 12
7.3.1 General Pairing Rule – Power Seeding 12
OFFICIAL RULE 8.0 Scoring System 12
8.1 Method of Scoring 13
8.2 One Judge Panel 13
8.3 Three Judge Panel 13
8.4 Determining Winner of a Match 13
8.5 Complaint Procedure 13
OFFICIAL RULE 9.0 Awards 14
9.1 Winner of the Moot 14
9.2 Best Oralist 14
9.3 Best Memorial 14
OFFICIAL RULE 10.0 Miscellaneous 14
10.1 Supplementary Rules 14
OFFICIAL RULE 1.0 Definition
1.1 Abbreviations
“MMU” refers to Multimedia University.
“MULS” refers to Multimedia University’s Law Society.
1.2 General Definition
“Administrator” means, with respect to any Tournament, the person appointed to administer the Tournament.
“Advanced Rounds” means the Octafinal Rounds, the Quarterfinal Rounds, the Semifinal Rounds, and the Final Round.
“Appellant” means the Team (or the members of a Team) which submits on behalf of the Appellant at any given point in the Competition.
“Bailiff” means person who maintains order during an Oral Round.
“Competition” means any Moot Competition organised by MULS.
“Competition Director” means the director of the Competition.
“Competition Problem” means the official competition question of any Tournament as supplemented or corrected by any official Problem Clarifications or corrections.
“Head Administrator” means the person in charge of the panel of Administrators.
“Memorial” means the written pleadings of each Team, written and submitted in pursuant to these Rules.
“Official Timetable” means the official timetable of the Competition.
“Oral Round” means a single match of oral presentation between the Appellant Team and the Respondent Team before the appointed judge(s).
“Organising Committee” means the members of the MULS who are in charged of organising and managing the Competition.
“Preliminary Rounds” means rounds to determine the sixteen (16) highest ranking Teams that would advance to the Advanced Rounds.
“Problem Clarifications” means the official clarifications of the Competition Problem and of these Rules, as published pursuant to Rule 3.7.
“Respondent” means the Team (or the members of a Team) which submits on behalf of the Respondent at any given point in the Competition.
“Rules” means the MMU Law Moot Competition Rules and Regulations, subject to any supplementary rules.
“Team” means any team registered for the Competition.
“Tournament” means a competitive level of the Competition.
1.3 Interpretation
In these Rules unless the context otherwise requires,
(a) words and expressions in the singular include the plural, and words and expressions in the plural include the singular;
(b) words and expressions importing the masculine gender include feminine.
OFFICIAL RULE 2.0 Organisation of the Competition
2.1 Administration
The Competition is administered by the MULS.
2.1.1 Competition Director
The Competition Director, who is a member of the MULS, shall administer the Competition. The Competition Director shall have the final say in all matters or disputes related to the conduct of the Competition.
Competition Director shall not:
(a) sit as a judge nor influence the judge(s) in any way;
(b) provide any assistance or instructions to any Team participating in the Competition;
(c) prejudice any participating Team in any way.
2.1.2 Administrator(s)
There shall be a panel of Administrators, who are Law Academicians. The Head Administrator will appoint an Administrator for each Tournament and will designate the date and location for the Tournament. The Administrator must conduct the Tournament consistent with these Rules and in consultation with the Head Administrator. The Head Administrator shall serve as final arbiter of implementation and interpretation of these Rules and Regulations.
Administrator shall not:
(a) serve as coach or in any other way assist a Team registered in his or her Tournament;
(b) prejudice any participating Team in any way.
2.2 Structure of the Competition
Unless otherwise specified in the supplementary rules, the Competition consists of two levels: (1) Preliminary Rounds, which will be conducted according to the league system; and (2) Advanced Rounds, which will be conducted by means of knock-out system. Preliminary Rounds is applicable if there are more than sixteen (16) participating Teams.
OFFICIAL RULE 3.0 Participation and Eligibility
3.1 Team Eligibility
All law faculties and law schools, which are recognised by the Malaysian Higher Education Ministry, are eligible to participate in the Competition.
Number of Teams eligible to participate shall be determined by the Organising Committee.
3.2 Registration
Each Team must complete and submit a registration form to the Organising Committee by the registration deadline in the Official Timetable.
Each Team must remit the appropriate registration fee (if any) by the registration deadline in the Official Timetable. The amount of registration fee payable (if any) will be prescribed in the supplementary rules.
3.3 Team Number as Identification
After the registration deadline in the Official Timetable, the Organising Committee will assign each Team a team number.
3.4 Team Composition and Selection
Unless otherwise specified in the supplementary rules, a Team is composed of two (2) oralists, namely one (1) counsel and one (1) co-counsel. Researchers may be enlisted for assistance at the discretion of the teams but need not be registered.
3.5 Minimum requirements for Team member eligibility
A person may only be a member of a Team if he or she is enrolled:
(a) as a student full-time or part-time in a programme of study leading to the equivalent of a LL.B or any recognised law degree programme; or
(b) in one or more courses at a law school or other institution which is participating in the Competition during the relevant academic year.
3.6 Ineligibility
Any Team which utilises an ineligible Team member, improper outside assistance, or other Team’s Memorial will be disqualified from the Competition.
3.6.1 With Reference to Team Members
Any Team which utilises an ineligible Team member who:
(i) has been admitted to the bar or admitted to legal practice in any jurisdiction; or
(ii) is enrolled as a student at more than one institution, other than as a visiting student;
shall be disqualified.
3.6.2 With Reference to improper outside assistance
Any Team which receives inappropriate outside assistance will be disqualified from the Competition. All research, writing and editing must be solely the product of Team members. However, faculty members and other Team advisors may provide advice to a Team. Such advice must be limited to: general discussions of the issues; suggestions as to research sources; consultations regarding oral advocacy technique; the location of legal sources; general legal research methods; general commentary on argument organisation and structure, the flow of arguments, and format; and advice during Competition elimination rounds as to pleading option or similar strategy.
Administrator(s) may not serve as coach or in any other way assist a Team registered in his or her Tournament. Otherwise, such Team that receives inappropriate outside assistance from Administrator(s) will be disqualified from the Competition.
Teams, including Teams that have been declared ineligible and Teams that have been eliminated or disqualified from the Competition, may not provide assistance in any way to any other Team. Assistance hereby prohibited includes, but is not limited to, giving the Team’s notes or Memorials to an advancing Team, engaging in practice moots against an advancing Team, or providing video or audio tapes of previous rounds, either practice rounds or competitive tournament rounds, to an advancing Team.
3.6.3 With Reference to the use of Opposing Team’s Memorials and Arguments
A Team may not view or otherwise become privy to any Memorial other than the applicable Appellant or Respondent Memorials of each of its scheduled opponents.
3.7 Problem Clarifications
Teams may submit written requests for clarifications of the Competition Problem to the Head Administrator by the date in the Official Timetable. Based upon the requests received from all Teams, the Head Administrator, upon consultation with the panel of Administrators, will publish Problem Clarifications on the date in the Official Timetable. Problem Clarifications is only limited to factual clarifications of the Competition Problem, and no legal clarifications will be allowed. Each Team must ensure that it receives and adequately notes the Problem Clarifications in preparation for the Competition.
OFFICIAL RULE 4.0 Judges
4.1 Eligibility of Persons to Judge
The Head Administrator will determine persons who are eligible to serve as judges in any Oral Round, subject to the following provisions:
(a) Students may not act as judges, except LL.M and other post graduate degree candidates who are not directly affiliated with any Team participating in the Tournament at which they are judging.
(b) Team faculty advisors or coaches, or other persons directly affiliated with a Team, may not act as judges in any Tournament until the Team has been eliminated or disqualified from the Competition.
Judges should disqualify themselves from judging a Team if they have a personal or professional relationship with someone affiliated with that Team, and if that relationship might jeopardise their impartiality or create an appearance of impropriety. However, judges should not disqualify themselves from judging a round merely because they have an acquaintance with a Team member.
4.2 Commentary by Judges
Judges are encouraged to provide direct feedback to Teams regarding the Teams’ performance at the completion of an Oral Round. In providing such feedback, judges are advised to give due regard to the time limitations and schedule of the Tournament.
OFFICIAL RULE 5.0 Memorials
5.1 Submission of Memorials
Each Team participating in any Tournament must prepare and submit Memorial. The Team must submit the hardcopy of the Memorial to the Head Administrator on the date and time specified in the Official Timetable. The duty to prepare the hardcopy of the Memorial is on the Team.
5.2 Language of Memorials
Teams may submit Memorials for the Tournament in either English or Bahasa Malaysia, as required in each Competition. The translation of Memorials shall be, to the utmost degree possible, a word for word translation. The contents of Memorials may not be revised, updated or otherwise altered in the translation process. The Administrator, in his discretion may disqualify any Team that alters the legal content of its Memorial(s) during translation.
5.3 Format of Memorials
The font and size of the text of all parts of the Memorial, including footnotes, must be the same and must be in Times New Roman, 12-point. The text of all parts of the Memorial, except the Cover Page, Table of Contents, and Table of Authorities, must be double-spaced, justified, and paginated. The text of footnotes may be single-spaced, but there must be double-spacing between separate footnotes. The text of the heading may be single-spaced, but there must be double spacing between each heading and the body-text of the Memorials. Quotation to sources outside of the Memorial of 50 words or more in any part of the Memorial may be block quoted (i.e. right and left indented) and may be single-spaced.
5.4 Description of the Memorial
5.4.1 Parts of the Memorial
The Memorial must contain the following parts, and only the following parts:
(a) Cover Page;
(b) Table of Contents;
(c) Index of Authorities;
(d) Bundle(s) of Authorities;
(e) Statement of Jurisdiction;
(f) Questions Presented;
(g) Statement of Facts;
(h) Summary of Pleadings;
(i) Pleading; and
(j) Conclusion and/or Prayer for Relief.
5.4.2 Legal Argument Limited to Pleading Section
Substantive, affirmative legal argument or legal interpretation of the facts of the Competition Problem may only be presented in the ‘Pleadings’ section of the Memorial, including the Conclusion and/or Prayer for Relief (except insofar as such argument may be summarised in the ‘Summary of the Pleadings’ or anticipated in the ‘Question Presented’).
5.4.3 Covers
(a) The Colour of the Memorial Covers
The Appellant’s Memorial Covers shall be in red, whereas for the Respondent’s shall be in blue.
(b) Information Contained on the Memorial Cover
Each Memorial should bear on its cover only the following:
(i) the team number;
(ii) the name of the court;
(iii) the year of the Competition;
(iv) the name of the case; and
(v) the title of the document (i.e. ‘Appellant/ Respondent’s Bundle of Authorities’).
(c) The Number as Identification on the Memorial Cover
The team number must be placed in the upper right-hand corner of the outside front cover of each Memorial, followed by an ‘A’ for the Appellant and an ‘R’ for the Respondent Memorial. For example, for team number 000, the identification of 000 A or 000 R would appear at the upper right hand corner of the outside front cover of the Appellant or Respondent Memorials respectively.
5.4.4 Index of Authorities
An “Index of Authorities” must be included in each Memorial. A list of all legal authorities cited in any section of the Memorial must be enclosed in the Index. The Index must incorporate a description of each authority adequate to allow a reasonable reader to identify and locate the authority in a publication of general circulation, and must include page number(s) of the Memorial on which each authority is cited.
5.4.5 Bundle(s) of Authorities
Bundle(s) of Authorities are documents in support of the appeal. Documents obtained from online sources must be reduced to hardcopy, as much as possible in PDF format.
Examples of authorities include statutory law and case law. The number of authorities cited in each Memorial must not be more than fifteen (15).
5.4.6 Statement of Facts
Judges will take the following into consideration in assessing the Statement of Facts:
(a) A well-formed Statement of Facts should be limited to the particular facts and required inferences from the Competition Problem.
(b) Any unsupported facts, distortions of stated facts, argumentative statements, or legal conclusions should not be included in the Statement of Facts.
The Competition Problem by and large omits certain facts which might be relevant or dispositive to the outcome of the case. Teams will be judged on their ability to conform the facts to their arguments without creating new facts or drawing unreasonable inferences from the Competition Problem.
5.4.7 Summary of Pleadings
A well-formed Summary of Pleadings should consist of a substantive summary of the “Pleadings” section of the Memorial instead of a simple reproduction of the headings contained in the Pleadings section.
5.5 Length
(a) The Pleadings section of each Memorial, including any footnotes or endnotes and the Conclusion and/or Prayer for Relief, must not be more than 9,000 words.
(b) The Summary of Pleadings section of each Memorial must not be more than 1,000 words.
(c) The Statement of Facts section of each Memorial must not be more than 1,200 words.
Word count shall be carried out using the standard “Word Count” feature such as that in Microsoft Word for Windows.
5.6 Limitations on the Use of Footnotes
Footnotes may be used. Nevertheless, footnotes are to be used only to identify the source of a statement made in the body of the Memorial and to provide the reader with a citation to a generally available reference for that source. Footnotes may not include substantive pleadings, examples, or any other text other than the actual cite. Footnotes are to be included in the word count of Rule 5.5.
Inclusion of text other than the actual cite in a footnote is a violation of Rule 5.4.2. Gross and repeated failure to include sufficient information in footnotes is, in the sole discretion of the Administrator, a discretionary Penalty.
Illustrative example of an acceptable footnote: Chung Khiaw Bank Ltd v Hotel Rasa Sayang Sdn Bhd [1990] 1 MLJ 356.
Illustrative example of a footnote in violation of the Official Rules: Chung Khiaw Bank Ltd v Hotel Rasa Sayang Sdn Bhd [1990] 1 MLJ 356 laid down the important principle that paragraphs (a), (b), and (e) of section 24 of the Contracts Act 1950 should be read disjunctively.
For citation style, refer to Appendix H and Appendix I from http://www.mmu.edu.my/~crpp/.
5.7 Anonymity in Memorials
Names of Team members may not appear on or within the Memorials. Signature pages are prohibited as well. Name of schools may appear unless provided otherwise.
OFFICIAL RULE 6.0 Oral Pleading Procedures
6.1 Language of Pleadings
In the Oral Round, Team may submit in either English or Bahasa Malaysia, as required in each Competition.
6.2 General Procedures
Each Oral Round consists of ninety (90) minutes of oral pleadings where Appellant and Respondent are each allotted forty five (45) minutes. There shall not be more than two (2) members from each Team to make oral presentations during the round. Prior to the beginning of the Oral Round, each Team is required to indicate to the bailiff how it wishes to allocate its 45 minutes among (a) its first oralist, (b) its second oralist, and (c) rebuttal (for Appellant) or surrebuttal (for Respondent). The Team shall not allocate more than twenty-five (25) minutes, including rebuttal or surrebuttal, to either oralist. Time allocated for but not used by one oralist may not be used by another oralist, or in the rebuttal or surrebuttal. Any Team member is allowed to act as an oralist during any round of the Competition.
6.2.1 Extension of Time at Judges’ Discretion
Judges may, at their discretion, extend total Team oral argument time beyond the forty five (45) minute allocation. Oralists may, in this instance, appear for more than the twenty five (25) minute individual limit if asked to further expand upon arguments.
6.3 Pleadings
In each Round at all levels of the Competition the order of the pleadings is:
Appellant 1 Respondent 1 Appellant 2 Respondent 2 Rebuttal (Appellant 1 or 2) Surrebuttal (Respondent 1 or 2). An oralist may not make any additional argument once he or she has completed main pleading, except for rebuttal or surrebuttal. This applies irrespective of whether the pleading Team uses all of the time it has allocated for the main pleading. Further, any time that is not used in the main pleading may not be used to extend the time allocated to rebuttal or surrebuttal.
6.3.1 Rebuttal and Surrebuttal
Each Team is allowed to reserve up to ten (10) minutes for rebuttal or surrebuttal. As a courtesy to the judges, at the beginning of their oral argument, Teams should announce whether they intend to reserve time for rebuttal or surrebuttal, and how much time they intend to reserve. Failure to announce will not waive the right to rebuttal or surrebuttal. Only one oralist may deliver the rebuttal or surrebuttal. The Team need not indicate prior to rebuttal or surrebuttal which of its two eligible oralists will deliver rebuttal or surrebuttal.
6.3.2 Scope of Pleadings
A Team’s oral pleadings are not limited to the scope of the Team’s Memorial. The scope of the Appellant’s rebuttal is limited to responding to the Respondent’s primary oral pleadings, and the scope of the Respondent’s surrebuttal is limited to responding to the Appellant’s rebuttal. The Respondent may not appear for surrebuttal if the Appellant waives rebuttal. Although judges are advised to enforce the limits on the scope of rebuttal and surrebuttal, and may take a violation of this Rule into account in evaluating an oralist’s performance, there is no discretionary or non-discretionary Penalty for exceeding scope of rebuttal or surrebuttal.
6.4 Ex Parte Procedure
In circumstances where after waiting twenty (20) minutes, a Team fails to appear for a scheduled Oral Round, the Administrator may allow the Oral Round to proceed ex parte. In the ex parte proceeding, the attending Team shall present its oral pleading, which is scored by the judge(s) to the extent possible as if the absent Team had been present and arguing. In such a case, unless supported with justifiable reasons, the Team that fails to appear for the scheduled Round forfeits all oral score stipulated under Rule 8.1(a).
6.5 Competition Communications
Only oral communications described under Rule 6.4 are permitted. In particular, no written communication or exhibits may be delivered by any Team member to any judge.
6.5.1 Oral Courtroom Communication between Counsel and Judges
Communication between judges and oralists during the oralist’s allotted time is allowed.
6.5.2 Oral Courtroom Communication and Activity at Counsel Table
Communication at the counsel table may be in writing or in a discreet tone to prevent disruption, and Teams shall avoid all unnecessary noise, outbursts, or other inappropriate behaviour which distracts from the argument in progress.
6.5.3 Written Courtroom Communication
Written communication during the Oral Round shall be limited to written communication among Team members seated at the counsel table. No other written communication may take place among the oralist, Team members seated at counsel table, spectators or Team members not present at the counsel table.
6.6 Spectators
All Preliminary Rounds and Advanced Rounds are open to the general public. During Oral Rounds, the presence of the Team’s coaches, advisors, or other spectators affiliated are permitted in the courtroom.
6.6.1 Scouting
Team members or persons directly affiliated with any Team may attend only Preliminary Rounds in which their Team is competing. Violation of this Rule should be brought to the attention of the Administrator immediately, without disturbing the Oral Round, or immediately after the Oral Round has finished.
There are two types of scouting, both of which are prohibited:
(a) “Direct Scouting” occurs when a Team or any of its members attends an Oral Round involving one or more Teams against which it will compete in a future Oral Round.
(b) “Indirect Scouting” occurs when a Team or any of its members attends an Oral Round involving two Teams against which it is not scheduled to compete in the Preliminary Rounds.
A Team that is found committing Direct Scouting and/or Indirect Scouting with the intent of scouting shall be liable for deduction of score stipulated in Schedule 1 by the Administrator. In the event of repeated offence of scouting, the Head Administrator shall disqualify the Team.
6.7 Audio and Videotaping
Apart from Final Round, no audio or videotaping of oral pleadings is permitted without the advance permission of the entire panel of judges and the Administrator. The use of any appliance, capable of storing audio and/or video is prohibited during the Competition. Participating Teams are not permitted to view or listen to any such audio tape until after the completion of the Tournament in which the taped Oral Round occurs. MULS reserves all rights to the audio and videotaping, or any other form of aural or visual reproduction, of any Oral Round or part thereof. All Teams participating in the Competition will be deemed to have consented to taping and broadcasting of any Oral Round.
6.8 Computers and Laptops in Courtrooms
During an Oral Round, oralists at the podium and Team members seated at counsel table shall not operate laptop, handheld or desktop computers or computing devices for any purpose.
OFFICIAL RULE 7.0 Competition Pairing Procedures
7.1 Preliminary Rounds
Unless otherwise specified in the supplementary rules, in the Preliminary Rounds, each Team shall participate in two (2) Oral Rounds, once as the Appellant and once as the Respondent. The average scores for both rounds will be used to determine the sixteen (16) highest ranking Teams eligible to proceed to the Advanced Rounds.
Each Team shall, to the degree possible, face any opposing Team only once in the Preliminary Rounds. In the event that Teams must face each other in two (2) Oral Rounds in the Preliminary Rounds, each Team shall plead as Appellant in one Round and Respondent in the other Round.
7.1.1 Pairings for Preliminary Rounds
The pairing of Teams for Preliminary Rounds shall be done, in the first instance, by a random draw. The Administrator may modify the pairings to account for absent Teams or other contingencies. If Teams must be newly paired, they must be provided their new opponents’ Memorials as soon as reasonably possible, but in no event less than fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of the newly paired round.
7.2 Advanced Rounds
The Advanced Rounds consist of the Octafinal Rounds, the Quarterfinal Rounds, the Semifinal Rounds, and the Final Round.
7.2.1 Octafinal Rounds
The Octafinal Rounds consist of sixteen (16) highest ranking Teams from the Preliminary Rounds, as described in Rule 7.1. In the event of a tie, the Team with the higher average oral score shall proceed to the Advanced Rounds. If the two Teams have equal average oral score, the Team with the higher average score for the legal content of the written Memorial shall proceed. In the event of a tie with respect to both such scores, the Team eligible to proceed will be decided by the Head Administrator and the decision shall not be disputed.
7.2.2 Quarterfinal Rounds, Semifinal Rounds, and Final Round
The Quarterfinal Rounds consist of four (4) pairings of each of the eight (8) Teams that win a match in the Octafinal Rounds. The Semifinal Rounds consist of two (2) pairings of each of the four (4) Teams that win a match in the Quarterfinal Rounds. The two (2) winning Teams from the Semifinal Rounds shall advance to the Final Round.
7.3 Pairings for Advanced Rounds
Pairings for the Advanced Rounds and the Memorials of opposing Teams will be distributed to Teams on the first day of the Tournament. The Administrator may subsequently modify the pairings to account for absent Teams. In such case, the Administrator will notify affected Teams and deliver their opponents’ Memorials as soon as possible.
7.3.1 General Pairing Rule – Power Seeding
The pairings in the Advanced Rounds shall be determined by use of “power-seeding”. For purposes of this Rule, all rankings shall be determined by the final standings of the Preliminary Rounds.
Illustrative example: Under this rule, the pairings in the Octafinal Rounds would be as follow:
1 vs. 9, 5 vs. 13, 3 vs. 11, 7 vs. 15, 2 vs. 10, 6 vs. 14, 4 vs. 12, 8 vs. 16.
OFFICIAL RULE 8.0 Scoring System
8.1 Method of Scoring
The scoring system consists of two parts, namely:
(a) Scoring of the Oral Round (70%);
(b) Scoring of the written Memorial (30%).
A Team’s total competition score is the sum total of (a) and (b). For the break down of the scores, refer to Schedule 1 and 2.
Scores for the written Memorials will be given by the Administrator(s), and such scores may not be revealed to the judge(s). Scores for the Oral Round will be given by the respective judge(s). All decisions made in the scoring system are at the discretion of the Administrator(s) and/or judge(s) and shall not be disputed.
Judges must keep confidential from all Teams the exact score in each pairing, and each judge’s determination in the pairing; only the identity of the winning Team shall be revealed.
8.2 One Judge Panel
There would be at least one (1) judge in the panel for:
(a) Preliminary Rounds; and
(b) Advanced Rounds (from Octafinal Rounds until the Semifinal Rounds).
8.3 Three Judge Panel
The Administrator shall employ three (3) judges in the Final Round whenever possible.
8.4 Determining Winner of a Match
The winner of the match will be the Team with the highest sum total of Rule 8.1(a) and (b). In the event of a tie, the Team with the higher score for the Oral Round wins the match. If the two Teams have equal score for the Oral Round, the Team with the higher score for the legal content of the written Memorial wins the match. If the event of a tie with respect to both oral and legal content scores, the winner of the match will be decided by the judge(s) and the decision shall not be disputed.
8.5 Complaint Procedure
If a Team believes that a violation of the Rules has occurred during an Oral Round, he shall inform the bailiff in writing within five (5) minutes of the conclusion of that Oral Round. Teams must approach the Administrator with complaints if there is no bailiff. The violation and the parties involved in the violation shall be clearly described in the written notification. Teams are not allowed to approach the judges directly with regards to any violation of the Rules. Failure to follow any of the procedures stipulated in this paragraph shall result in a waiver of the Team’s complaint.
If one or more judges believe that a violation has occurred during an Oral Round, he shall inform the bailiff orally or through writing within five (5) minutes of the completion of the Oral Round. When possible, the matter should be brought to the bailiff outside the attention of the other judges.
OFFICIAL RULE 9.0 Awards
9.1 Winner of the Moot
The Team that succeeds in accumulating the highest score in Rule 8.1 in the Final Round shall win the Moot. The Team that wins in the Final Round will receive the Challenge Trophy.
9.2 Best Oralist
In each Oral Round, the oralist with the highest individual oral score in Rule 8.1(a) shall be deemed to be the Best Oralist. In the event of equal score for two or more oralists, the judge(s) shall have the discretion to determine the Best Oralist, and such decision shall not be disputed. Only the Best Oralist in the Final Round will be eligible for the Best Oralist Trophy.
9.3 Best Memorial
In the Final Round, the Team with the highest score for the written Memorial in Rule 8.1(b) will be entitled for the Best Memorial Trophy.
In the event of a tie, the Head Administrator shall have the discretion to determine the Team eligible for such Trophy, and such decision shall not be disputed.
OFFICIAL RULE 10.0 Miscellaneous
10.1 Supplementary Rules
In each Competition, the Organising Committee may make supplementary rules in respect of the implementation of the Official Rules and in respect of any matters incidental, ancillary or supplementary thereto or concerning the conduct and administration of the Competition.
OFFICIAL RULE 1.0 Definition 1
1.1 Abbreviations 1
1.2 General Definition 1
1.3 Interpretation 2
OFFICIAL RULE 2.0 Organisation of the Competition 2
2.1 Administration 2
2.1.1 Competition Director 2
2.1.2 Administrator(s) 2
2.2 Structure of the Competition 3
OFFICIAL RULE 3.0 Participation and Eligibility 3
3.1 Team Eligibility 3
3.2 Registration 3
3.3 Team Number as Identification 3
3.4 Team Composition and Selection 3
3.5 Minimum requirements for Team member eligibility 3
3.6 Ineligibility 4
3.6.1 With Reference to Team Members 4
3.6.2 With Reference to improper outside assistance 4
3.6.3 With Reference to the use of Opposing Team’s Memorials and Arguments 4
3.7 Problem Clarifications 4
OFFICIAL RULE 4.0 Judges 5
4.1 Eligibility of Persons to Judge 5
4.2 Commentary by Judges 5
OFFICIAL RULE 5.0 Memorials 5
5.1 Submission of Memorials 5
5.2 Language of Memorials 5
5.3 Format of Memorials 6
5.4 Description of the Memorial 6
5.4.1 Parts of the Memorial 6
5.4.2 Legal Argument Limited to Pleading Section 6
5.4.3 Covers 6
5.4.4 Index of Authorities 7
5.4.5 Bundle(s) of Authorities 7
5.4.6 Statement of Facts 7
5.4.7 Summary of Pleadings 7
5.5 Length 8
5.6 Limitations on the Use of Footnotes 8
5.7 Anonymity in Memorials 8
OFFICIAL RULE 6.0 Oral Pleading Procedures 8
6.1 Language of Pleadings 8
6.2 General Procedures 9
6.2.1 Extension of Time at Judges’ Discretion 9
6.3 Pleadings 9
6.3.1 Rebuttal and Surrebuttal 9
6.3.2 Scope of Pleadings 9
6.4 Ex Parte Procedure 10
6.5 Competition Communications 10
6.5.1 Oral Courtroom Communication between Counsel and Judges 10
6.5.2 Oral Courtroom Communication and Activity at Counsel Table 10
6.5.3 Written Courtroom Communication 10
6.6 Spectators 10
6.6.1 Scouting 10
6.7 Audio and Videotaping 11
6.8 Computers and Laptops in Courtrooms 11
OFFICIAL RULE 7.0 Competition Pairing Procedures 11
7.1 Preliminary Rounds 11
7.1.1 Pairings for Preliminary Rounds 11
7.2 Advanced Rounds 12
7.2.1 Octafinal Rounds 12
7.2.2 Quarterfinal Rounds, Semifinal Rounds, and Final Round 12
7.3 Pairings for Advanced Rounds 12
7.3.1 General Pairing Rule – Power Seeding 12
OFFICIAL RULE 8.0 Scoring System 12
8.1 Method of Scoring 13
8.2 One Judge Panel 13
8.3 Three Judge Panel 13
8.4 Determining Winner of a Match 13
8.5 Complaint Procedure 13
OFFICIAL RULE 9.0 Awards 14
9.1 Winner of the Moot 14
9.2 Best Oralist 14
9.3 Best Memorial 14
OFFICIAL RULE 10.0 Miscellaneous 14
10.1 Supplementary Rules 14
OFFICIAL RULE 1.0 Definition
1.1 Abbreviations
“MMU” refers to Multimedia University.
“MULS” refers to Multimedia University’s Law Society.
1.2 General Definition
“Administrator” means, with respect to any Tournament, the person appointed to administer the Tournament.
“Advanced Rounds” means the Octafinal Rounds, the Quarterfinal Rounds, the Semifinal Rounds, and the Final Round.
“Appellant” means the Team (or the members of a Team) which submits on behalf of the Appellant at any given point in the Competition.
“Bailiff” means person who maintains order during an Oral Round.
“Competition” means any Moot Competition organised by MULS.
“Competition Director” means the director of the Competition.
“Competition Problem” means the official competition question of any Tournament as supplemented or corrected by any official Problem Clarifications or corrections.
“Head Administrator” means the person in charge of the panel of Administrators.
“Memorial” means the written pleadings of each Team, written and submitted in pursuant to these Rules.
“Official Timetable” means the official timetable of the Competition.
“Oral Round” means a single match of oral presentation between the Appellant Team and the Respondent Team before the appointed judge(s).
“Organising Committee” means the members of the MULS who are in charged of organising and managing the Competition.
“Preliminary Rounds” means rounds to determine the sixteen (16) highest ranking Teams that would advance to the Advanced Rounds.
“Problem Clarifications” means the official clarifications of the Competition Problem and of these Rules, as published pursuant to Rule 3.7.
“Respondent” means the Team (or the members of a Team) which submits on behalf of the Respondent at any given point in the Competition.
“Rules” means the MMU Law Moot Competition Rules and Regulations, subject to any supplementary rules.
“Team” means any team registered for the Competition.
“Tournament” means a competitive level of the Competition.
1.3 Interpretation
In these Rules unless the context otherwise requires,
(a) words and expressions in the singular include the plural, and words and expressions in the plural include the singular;
(b) words and expressions importing the masculine gender include feminine.
OFFICIAL RULE 2.0 Organisation of the Competition
2.1 Administration
The Competition is administered by the MULS.
2.1.1 Competition Director
The Competition Director, who is a member of the MULS, shall administer the Competition. The Competition Director shall have the final say in all matters or disputes related to the conduct of the Competition.
Competition Director shall not:
(a) sit as a judge nor influence the judge(s) in any way;
(b) provide any assistance or instructions to any Team participating in the Competition;
(c) prejudice any participating Team in any way.
2.1.2 Administrator(s)
There shall be a panel of Administrators, who are Law Academicians. The Head Administrator will appoint an Administrator for each Tournament and will designate the date and location for the Tournament. The Administrator must conduct the Tournament consistent with these Rules and in consultation with the Head Administrator. The Head Administrator shall serve as final arbiter of implementation and interpretation of these Rules and Regulations.
Administrator shall not:
(a) serve as coach or in any other way assist a Team registered in his or her Tournament;
(b) prejudice any participating Team in any way.
2.2 Structure of the Competition
Unless otherwise specified in the supplementary rules, the Competition consists of two levels: (1) Preliminary Rounds, which will be conducted according to the league system; and (2) Advanced Rounds, which will be conducted by means of knock-out system. Preliminary Rounds is applicable if there are more than sixteen (16) participating Teams.
OFFICIAL RULE 3.0 Participation and Eligibility
3.1 Team Eligibility
All law faculties and law schools, which are recognised by the Malaysian Higher Education Ministry, are eligible to participate in the Competition.
Number of Teams eligible to participate shall be determined by the Organising Committee.
3.2 Registration
Each Team must complete and submit a registration form to the Organising Committee by the registration deadline in the Official Timetable.
Each Team must remit the appropriate registration fee (if any) by the registration deadline in the Official Timetable. The amount of registration fee payable (if any) will be prescribed in the supplementary rules.
3.3 Team Number as Identification
After the registration deadline in the Official Timetable, the Organising Committee will assign each Team a team number.
3.4 Team Composition and Selection
Unless otherwise specified in the supplementary rules, a Team is composed of two (2) oralists, namely one (1) counsel and one (1) co-counsel. Researchers may be enlisted for assistance at the discretion of the teams but need not be registered.
3.5 Minimum requirements for Team member eligibility
A person may only be a member of a Team if he or she is enrolled:
(a) as a student full-time or part-time in a programme of study leading to the equivalent of a LL.B or any recognised law degree programme; or
(b) in one or more courses at a law school or other institution which is participating in the Competition during the relevant academic year.
3.6 Ineligibility
Any Team which utilises an ineligible Team member, improper outside assistance, or other Team’s Memorial will be disqualified from the Competition.
3.6.1 With Reference to Team Members
Any Team which utilises an ineligible Team member who:
(i) has been admitted to the bar or admitted to legal practice in any jurisdiction; or
(ii) is enrolled as a student at more than one institution, other than as a visiting student;
shall be disqualified.
3.6.2 With Reference to improper outside assistance
Any Team which receives inappropriate outside assistance will be disqualified from the Competition. All research, writing and editing must be solely the product of Team members. However, faculty members and other Team advisors may provide advice to a Team. Such advice must be limited to: general discussions of the issues; suggestions as to research sources; consultations regarding oral advocacy technique; the location of legal sources; general legal research methods; general commentary on argument organisation and structure, the flow of arguments, and format; and advice during Competition elimination rounds as to pleading option or similar strategy.
Administrator(s) may not serve as coach or in any other way assist a Team registered in his or her Tournament. Otherwise, such Team that receives inappropriate outside assistance from Administrator(s) will be disqualified from the Competition.
Teams, including Teams that have been declared ineligible and Teams that have been eliminated or disqualified from the Competition, may not provide assistance in any way to any other Team. Assistance hereby prohibited includes, but is not limited to, giving the Team’s notes or Memorials to an advancing Team, engaging in practice moots against an advancing Team, or providing video or audio tapes of previous rounds, either practice rounds or competitive tournament rounds, to an advancing Team.
3.6.3 With Reference to the use of Opposing Team’s Memorials and Arguments
A Team may not view or otherwise become privy to any Memorial other than the applicable Appellant or Respondent Memorials of each of its scheduled opponents.
3.7 Problem Clarifications
Teams may submit written requests for clarifications of the Competition Problem to the Head Administrator by the date in the Official Timetable. Based upon the requests received from all Teams, the Head Administrator, upon consultation with the panel of Administrators, will publish Problem Clarifications on the date in the Official Timetable. Problem Clarifications is only limited to factual clarifications of the Competition Problem, and no legal clarifications will be allowed. Each Team must ensure that it receives and adequately notes the Problem Clarifications in preparation for the Competition.
OFFICIAL RULE 4.0 Judges
4.1 Eligibility of Persons to Judge
The Head Administrator will determine persons who are eligible to serve as judges in any Oral Round, subject to the following provisions:
(a) Students may not act as judges, except LL.M and other post graduate degree candidates who are not directly affiliated with any Team participating in the Tournament at which they are judging.
(b) Team faculty advisors or coaches, or other persons directly affiliated with a Team, may not act as judges in any Tournament until the Team has been eliminated or disqualified from the Competition.
Judges should disqualify themselves from judging a Team if they have a personal or professional relationship with someone affiliated with that Team, and if that relationship might jeopardise their impartiality or create an appearance of impropriety. However, judges should not disqualify themselves from judging a round merely because they have an acquaintance with a Team member.
4.2 Commentary by Judges
Judges are encouraged to provide direct feedback to Teams regarding the Teams’ performance at the completion of an Oral Round. In providing such feedback, judges are advised to give due regard to the time limitations and schedule of the Tournament.
OFFICIAL RULE 5.0 Memorials
5.1 Submission of Memorials
Each Team participating in any Tournament must prepare and submit Memorial. The Team must submit the hardcopy of the Memorial to the Head Administrator on the date and time specified in the Official Timetable. The duty to prepare the hardcopy of the Memorial is on the Team.
5.2 Language of Memorials
Teams may submit Memorials for the Tournament in either English or Bahasa Malaysia, as required in each Competition. The translation of Memorials shall be, to the utmost degree possible, a word for word translation. The contents of Memorials may not be revised, updated or otherwise altered in the translation process. The Administrator, in his discretion may disqualify any Team that alters the legal content of its Memorial(s) during translation.
5.3 Format of Memorials
The font and size of the text of all parts of the Memorial, including footnotes, must be the same and must be in Times New Roman, 12-point. The text of all parts of the Memorial, except the Cover Page, Table of Contents, and Table of Authorities, must be double-spaced, justified, and paginated. The text of footnotes may be single-spaced, but there must be double-spacing between separate footnotes. The text of the heading may be single-spaced, but there must be double spacing between each heading and the body-text of the Memorials. Quotation to sources outside of the Memorial of 50 words or more in any part of the Memorial may be block quoted (i.e. right and left indented) and may be single-spaced.
5.4 Description of the Memorial
5.4.1 Parts of the Memorial
The Memorial must contain the following parts, and only the following parts:
(a) Cover Page;
(b) Table of Contents;
(c) Index of Authorities;
(d) Bundle(s) of Authorities;
(e) Statement of Jurisdiction;
(f) Questions Presented;
(g) Statement of Facts;
(h) Summary of Pleadings;
(i) Pleading; and
(j) Conclusion and/or Prayer for Relief.
5.4.2 Legal Argument Limited to Pleading Section
Substantive, affirmative legal argument or legal interpretation of the facts of the Competition Problem may only be presented in the ‘Pleadings’ section of the Memorial, including the Conclusion and/or Prayer for Relief (except insofar as such argument may be summarised in the ‘Summary of the Pleadings’ or anticipated in the ‘Question Presented’).
5.4.3 Covers
(a) The Colour of the Memorial Covers
The Appellant’s Memorial Covers shall be in red, whereas for the Respondent’s shall be in blue.
(b) Information Contained on the Memorial Cover
Each Memorial should bear on its cover only the following:
(i) the team number;
(ii) the name of the court;
(iii) the year of the Competition;
(iv) the name of the case; and
(v) the title of the document (i.e. ‘Appellant/ Respondent’s Bundle of Authorities’).
(c) The Number as Identification on the Memorial Cover
The team number must be placed in the upper right-hand corner of the outside front cover of each Memorial, followed by an ‘A’ for the Appellant and an ‘R’ for the Respondent Memorial. For example, for team number 000, the identification of 000 A or 000 R would appear at the upper right hand corner of the outside front cover of the Appellant or Respondent Memorials respectively.
5.4.4 Index of Authorities
An “Index of Authorities” must be included in each Memorial. A list of all legal authorities cited in any section of the Memorial must be enclosed in the Index. The Index must incorporate a description of each authority adequate to allow a reasonable reader to identify and locate the authority in a publication of general circulation, and must include page number(s) of the Memorial on which each authority is cited.
5.4.5 Bundle(s) of Authorities
Bundle(s) of Authorities are documents in support of the appeal. Documents obtained from online sources must be reduced to hardcopy, as much as possible in PDF format.
Examples of authorities include statutory law and case law. The number of authorities cited in each Memorial must not be more than fifteen (15).
5.4.6 Statement of Facts
Judges will take the following into consideration in assessing the Statement of Facts:
(a) A well-formed Statement of Facts should be limited to the particular facts and required inferences from the Competition Problem.
(b) Any unsupported facts, distortions of stated facts, argumentative statements, or legal conclusions should not be included in the Statement of Facts.
The Competition Problem by and large omits certain facts which might be relevant or dispositive to the outcome of the case. Teams will be judged on their ability to conform the facts to their arguments without creating new facts or drawing unreasonable inferences from the Competition Problem.
5.4.7 Summary of Pleadings
A well-formed Summary of Pleadings should consist of a substantive summary of the “Pleadings” section of the Memorial instead of a simple reproduction of the headings contained in the Pleadings section.
5.5 Length
(a) The Pleadings section of each Memorial, including any footnotes or endnotes and the Conclusion and/or Prayer for Relief, must not be more than 9,000 words.
(b) The Summary of Pleadings section of each Memorial must not be more than 1,000 words.
(c) The Statement of Facts section of each Memorial must not be more than 1,200 words.
Word count shall be carried out using the standard “Word Count” feature such as that in Microsoft Word for Windows.
5.6 Limitations on the Use of Footnotes
Footnotes may be used. Nevertheless, footnotes are to be used only to identify the source of a statement made in the body of the Memorial and to provide the reader with a citation to a generally available reference for that source. Footnotes may not include substantive pleadings, examples, or any other text other than the actual cite. Footnotes are to be included in the word count of Rule 5.5.
Inclusion of text other than the actual cite in a footnote is a violation of Rule 5.4.2. Gross and repeated failure to include sufficient information in footnotes is, in the sole discretion of the Administrator, a discretionary Penalty.
Illustrative example of an acceptable footnote: Chung Khiaw Bank Ltd v Hotel Rasa Sayang Sdn Bhd [1990] 1 MLJ 356.
Illustrative example of a footnote in violation of the Official Rules: Chung Khiaw Bank Ltd v Hotel Rasa Sayang Sdn Bhd [1990] 1 MLJ 356 laid down the important principle that paragraphs (a), (b), and (e) of section 24 of the Contracts Act 1950 should be read disjunctively.
For citation style, refer to Appendix H and Appendix I from http://www.mmu.edu.my/~crpp/.
5.7 Anonymity in Memorials
Names of Team members may not appear on or within the Memorials. Signature pages are prohibited as well. Name of schools may appear unless provided otherwise.
OFFICIAL RULE 6.0 Oral Pleading Procedures
6.1 Language of Pleadings
In the Oral Round, Team may submit in either English or Bahasa Malaysia, as required in each Competition.
6.2 General Procedures
Each Oral Round consists of ninety (90) minutes of oral pleadings where Appellant and Respondent are each allotted forty five (45) minutes. There shall not be more than two (2) members from each Team to make oral presentations during the round. Prior to the beginning of the Oral Round, each Team is required to indicate to the bailiff how it wishes to allocate its 45 minutes among (a) its first oralist, (b) its second oralist, and (c) rebuttal (for Appellant) or surrebuttal (for Respondent). The Team shall not allocate more than twenty-five (25) minutes, including rebuttal or surrebuttal, to either oralist. Time allocated for but not used by one oralist may not be used by another oralist, or in the rebuttal or surrebuttal. Any Team member is allowed to act as an oralist during any round of the Competition.
6.2.1 Extension of Time at Judges’ Discretion
Judges may, at their discretion, extend total Team oral argument time beyond the forty five (45) minute allocation. Oralists may, in this instance, appear for more than the twenty five (25) minute individual limit if asked to further expand upon arguments.
6.3 Pleadings
In each Round at all levels of the Competition the order of the pleadings is:
Appellant 1 Respondent 1 Appellant 2 Respondent 2 Rebuttal (Appellant 1 or 2) Surrebuttal (Respondent 1 or 2). An oralist may not make any additional argument once he or she has completed main pleading, except for rebuttal or surrebuttal. This applies irrespective of whether the pleading Team uses all of the time it has allocated for the main pleading. Further, any time that is not used in the main pleading may not be used to extend the time allocated to rebuttal or surrebuttal.
6.3.1 Rebuttal and Surrebuttal
Each Team is allowed to reserve up to ten (10) minutes for rebuttal or surrebuttal. As a courtesy to the judges, at the beginning of their oral argument, Teams should announce whether they intend to reserve time for rebuttal or surrebuttal, and how much time they intend to reserve. Failure to announce will not waive the right to rebuttal or surrebuttal. Only one oralist may deliver the rebuttal or surrebuttal. The Team need not indicate prior to rebuttal or surrebuttal which of its two eligible oralists will deliver rebuttal or surrebuttal.
6.3.2 Scope of Pleadings
A Team’s oral pleadings are not limited to the scope of the Team’s Memorial. The scope of the Appellant’s rebuttal is limited to responding to the Respondent’s primary oral pleadings, and the scope of the Respondent’s surrebuttal is limited to responding to the Appellant’s rebuttal. The Respondent may not appear for surrebuttal if the Appellant waives rebuttal. Although judges are advised to enforce the limits on the scope of rebuttal and surrebuttal, and may take a violation of this Rule into account in evaluating an oralist’s performance, there is no discretionary or non-discretionary Penalty for exceeding scope of rebuttal or surrebuttal.
6.4 Ex Parte Procedure
In circumstances where after waiting twenty (20) minutes, a Team fails to appear for a scheduled Oral Round, the Administrator may allow the Oral Round to proceed ex parte. In the ex parte proceeding, the attending Team shall present its oral pleading, which is scored by the judge(s) to the extent possible as if the absent Team had been present and arguing. In such a case, unless supported with justifiable reasons, the Team that fails to appear for the scheduled Round forfeits all oral score stipulated under Rule 8.1(a).
6.5 Competition Communications
Only oral communications described under Rule 6.4 are permitted. In particular, no written communication or exhibits may be delivered by any Team member to any judge.
6.5.1 Oral Courtroom Communication between Counsel and Judges
Communication between judges and oralists during the oralist’s allotted time is allowed.
6.5.2 Oral Courtroom Communication and Activity at Counsel Table
Communication at the counsel table may be in writing or in a discreet tone to prevent disruption, and Teams shall avoid all unnecessary noise, outbursts, or other inappropriate behaviour which distracts from the argument in progress.
6.5.3 Written Courtroom Communication
Written communication during the Oral Round shall be limited to written communication among Team members seated at the counsel table. No other written communication may take place among the oralist, Team members seated at counsel table, spectators or Team members not present at the counsel table.
6.6 Spectators
All Preliminary Rounds and Advanced Rounds are open to the general public. During Oral Rounds, the presence of the Team’s coaches, advisors, or other spectators affiliated are permitted in the courtroom.
6.6.1 Scouting
Team members or persons directly affiliated with any Team may attend only Preliminary Rounds in which their Team is competing. Violation of this Rule should be brought to the attention of the Administrator immediately, without disturbing the Oral Round, or immediately after the Oral Round has finished.
There are two types of scouting, both of which are prohibited:
(a) “Direct Scouting” occurs when a Team or any of its members attends an Oral Round involving one or more Teams against which it will compete in a future Oral Round.
(b) “Indirect Scouting” occurs when a Team or any of its members attends an Oral Round involving two Teams against which it is not scheduled to compete in the Preliminary Rounds.
A Team that is found committing Direct Scouting and/or Indirect Scouting with the intent of scouting shall be liable for deduction of score stipulated in Schedule 1 by the Administrator. In the event of repeated offence of scouting, the Head Administrator shall disqualify the Team.
6.7 Audio and Videotaping
Apart from Final Round, no audio or videotaping of oral pleadings is permitted without the advance permission of the entire panel of judges and the Administrator. The use of any appliance, capable of storing audio and/or video is prohibited during the Competition. Participating Teams are not permitted to view or listen to any such audio tape until after the completion of the Tournament in which the taped Oral Round occurs. MULS reserves all rights to the audio and videotaping, or any other form of aural or visual reproduction, of any Oral Round or part thereof. All Teams participating in the Competition will be deemed to have consented to taping and broadcasting of any Oral Round.
6.8 Computers and Laptops in Courtrooms
During an Oral Round, oralists at the podium and Team members seated at counsel table shall not operate laptop, handheld or desktop computers or computing devices for any purpose.
OFFICIAL RULE 7.0 Competition Pairing Procedures
7.1 Preliminary Rounds
Unless otherwise specified in the supplementary rules, in the Preliminary Rounds, each Team shall participate in two (2) Oral Rounds, once as the Appellant and once as the Respondent. The average scores for both rounds will be used to determine the sixteen (16) highest ranking Teams eligible to proceed to the Advanced Rounds.
Each Team shall, to the degree possible, face any opposing Team only once in the Preliminary Rounds. In the event that Teams must face each other in two (2) Oral Rounds in the Preliminary Rounds, each Team shall plead as Appellant in one Round and Respondent in the other Round.
7.1.1 Pairings for Preliminary Rounds
The pairing of Teams for Preliminary Rounds shall be done, in the first instance, by a random draw. The Administrator may modify the pairings to account for absent Teams or other contingencies. If Teams must be newly paired, they must be provided their new opponents’ Memorials as soon as reasonably possible, but in no event less than fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of the newly paired round.
7.2 Advanced Rounds
The Advanced Rounds consist of the Octafinal Rounds, the Quarterfinal Rounds, the Semifinal Rounds, and the Final Round.
7.2.1 Octafinal Rounds
The Octafinal Rounds consist of sixteen (16) highest ranking Teams from the Preliminary Rounds, as described in Rule 7.1. In the event of a tie, the Team with the higher average oral score shall proceed to the Advanced Rounds. If the two Teams have equal average oral score, the Team with the higher average score for the legal content of the written Memorial shall proceed. In the event of a tie with respect to both such scores, the Team eligible to proceed will be decided by the Head Administrator and the decision shall not be disputed.
7.2.2 Quarterfinal Rounds, Semifinal Rounds, and Final Round
The Quarterfinal Rounds consist of four (4) pairings of each of the eight (8) Teams that win a match in the Octafinal Rounds. The Semifinal Rounds consist of two (2) pairings of each of the four (4) Teams that win a match in the Quarterfinal Rounds. The two (2) winning Teams from the Semifinal Rounds shall advance to the Final Round.
7.3 Pairings for Advanced Rounds
Pairings for the Advanced Rounds and the Memorials of opposing Teams will be distributed to Teams on the first day of the Tournament. The Administrator may subsequently modify the pairings to account for absent Teams. In such case, the Administrator will notify affected Teams and deliver their opponents’ Memorials as soon as possible.
7.3.1 General Pairing Rule – Power Seeding
The pairings in the Advanced Rounds shall be determined by use of “power-seeding”. For purposes of this Rule, all rankings shall be determined by the final standings of the Preliminary Rounds.
Illustrative example: Under this rule, the pairings in the Octafinal Rounds would be as follow:
1 vs. 9, 5 vs. 13, 3 vs. 11, 7 vs. 15, 2 vs. 10, 6 vs. 14, 4 vs. 12, 8 vs. 16.
OFFICIAL RULE 8.0 Scoring System
8.1 Method of Scoring
The scoring system consists of two parts, namely:
(a) Scoring of the Oral Round (70%);
(b) Scoring of the written Memorial (30%).
A Team’s total competition score is the sum total of (a) and (b). For the break down of the scores, refer to Schedule 1 and 2.
Scores for the written Memorials will be given by the Administrator(s), and such scores may not be revealed to the judge(s). Scores for the Oral Round will be given by the respective judge(s). All decisions made in the scoring system are at the discretion of the Administrator(s) and/or judge(s) and shall not be disputed.
Judges must keep confidential from all Teams the exact score in each pairing, and each judge’s determination in the pairing; only the identity of the winning Team shall be revealed.
8.2 One Judge Panel
There would be at least one (1) judge in the panel for:
(a) Preliminary Rounds; and
(b) Advanced Rounds (from Octafinal Rounds until the Semifinal Rounds).
8.3 Three Judge Panel
The Administrator shall employ three (3) judges in the Final Round whenever possible.
8.4 Determining Winner of a Match
The winner of the match will be the Team with the highest sum total of Rule 8.1(a) and (b). In the event of a tie, the Team with the higher score for the Oral Round wins the match. If the two Teams have equal score for the Oral Round, the Team with the higher score for the legal content of the written Memorial wins the match. If the event of a tie with respect to both oral and legal content scores, the winner of the match will be decided by the judge(s) and the decision shall not be disputed.
8.5 Complaint Procedure
If a Team believes that a violation of the Rules has occurred during an Oral Round, he shall inform the bailiff in writing within five (5) minutes of the conclusion of that Oral Round. Teams must approach the Administrator with complaints if there is no bailiff. The violation and the parties involved in the violation shall be clearly described in the written notification. Teams are not allowed to approach the judges directly with regards to any violation of the Rules. Failure to follow any of the procedures stipulated in this paragraph shall result in a waiver of the Team’s complaint.
If one or more judges believe that a violation has occurred during an Oral Round, he shall inform the bailiff orally or through writing within five (5) minutes of the completion of the Oral Round. When possible, the matter should be brought to the bailiff outside the attention of the other judges.
OFFICIAL RULE 9.0 Awards
9.1 Winner of the Moot
The Team that succeeds in accumulating the highest score in Rule 8.1 in the Final Round shall win the Moot. The Team that wins in the Final Round will receive the Challenge Trophy.
9.2 Best Oralist
In each Oral Round, the oralist with the highest individual oral score in Rule 8.1(a) shall be deemed to be the Best Oralist. In the event of equal score for two or more oralists, the judge(s) shall have the discretion to determine the Best Oralist, and such decision shall not be disputed. Only the Best Oralist in the Final Round will be eligible for the Best Oralist Trophy.
9.3 Best Memorial
In the Final Round, the Team with the highest score for the written Memorial in Rule 8.1(b) will be entitled for the Best Memorial Trophy.
In the event of a tie, the Head Administrator shall have the discretion to determine the Team eligible for such Trophy, and such decision shall not be disputed.
OFFICIAL RULE 10.0 Miscellaneous
10.1 Supplementary Rules
In each Competition, the Organising Committee may make supplementary rules in respect of the implementation of the Official Rules and in respect of any matters incidental, ancillary or supplementary thereto or concerning the conduct and administration of the Competition.
