At a formal dinner in the atrium of the High Court in Canberra on Saturday 11 February 2017 to mark the end of the Australian qualifying round of the 2017 Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the Australian Branch of the International Law Association presented the Harold Snelling Prize to the members of the winning team from the University of Sydney.

The dinner was attended by the Hon Stephen Gageler SC, Justice of the High Court, who judged the final moot between the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland. Justice Gageler addressed an audience of student mooters, coaches, moot court judges, and sponsors, in which he offered some sage advice to those wishing to pursue a career in written and oral advocacy. Earlier in the day, the President of the Australian Branch of the ILA, Dr Christopher Ward SC, joined Professor Tim Stephens from the University of Sydney and Justice Richard Refshauge of the ACT Supreme Court in judging the semifinal moot between the University of Queensland and Murdoch University.
 

The Harold Snelling Prize is a monetary prize that is awarded every year by the ILA to members of the winning team of the Australian qualifying round to help defray their expenses of travelling to Washington DC later in the year to compete in the international rounds. The award is in honour of Harold AR Snelling QC (1904-1979), who was Solicitor General for New South Wales from 1953 to 1974 and a former President of the Australian Branch of the ILA.

The ILA congratulates the team from the University of Sydney for its win, and wishes the Australian teams every success in the international finals. For more information about the Jessup Moot Competition, visit www.ilsa.org/jessuphome