Cave Hill adds another major moot court win with Beijing victory

Cave Hill’s rising legal talent has again made its presence felt across the globe, travelling to Beijing and capturing the top prize at the 2025 International Space Law Moot hosted by the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL).

From November 21 to 23, a delegation from the UWI Cave Hill Faculty of Law, led by Interim Dean and Team Advisor Dr Antonius R. Hippolyte, competed in the biennial contest, which this year focused on international space law. Both institutions fielded two teams of two students.

CUPL’s teams were made up of Jia Yuxuan and Chen Xiaotong, and He Xiyue and Xu Zhitong. Cave Hill’s representatives were Carina Blache and Ayodele Jones in Team 1 and Brianna Hardy and Charlie Adhar in Team 2. Their preparation was guided by PhD candidates Alexander Ramdas and Rico Yearwood, who also serves as an adjunct in the faculty.

After two days of intense rounds, Hardy and Adhar advanced to the final, which was presided over by Professor Guoyu Wang, Dean of the Academy of Air, Space Policy and Law at the Beijing Institute of Technology and author of the moot’s fact pattern.

The Cave Hill pair emerged overall winners, with Hardy also taking the award for Best Oralist. Blache and Jones captured the prize for Best Written Arguments for the Applicant.

Professor Wang praised the Cave Hill contingent for their high-calibre advocacy and encouraged the faculty to participate in more international moot competitions.

The team’s Beijing triumph comes on the heels of another major campus win earlier this year. In March, Cave Hill secured the title of Best Academic Institution at the XV Annual Caribbean Court of Justice International Law Moot in Trinidad and Tobago, outperforming seven other teams. That victory was earned by third-year students Deborah Bryan, Alala Moore and Khyle Harrisingh, who were also guided by Dr Hippolyte and commended by CCJ judges for their confident advocacy and sharp legal analysis.

With two international moot titles now under its belt in 2025 alone, the Cave Hill Faculty of Law is building an impressive record on the global stage. Dr Hippolyte, who oversaw preparation for both victories, said the results demonstrate that Cave Hill’s students can compete at the highest levels and he urged continued support of the faculty’s moot court initiatives.

Campus principal, Professor Clive Landis, commended the victorious students and their coaches, describing the achievement as “out of this world” and noting the law faculty has again proven that its influence and excellence are truly global.

He said: “Our recent victory at the International Space Law Moot in Beijing, following success at the Caribbean Court of Justice Moot earlier this year, underscores the calibre of legal education offered here at Cave Hill Campus. These achievements reflect the strength of our LLB programme, which equips students with rigorous academic training and the confidence to advocate at the highest levels worldwide.

“Our global reach does not end there. Cave Hill offers a suite of postgraduate programmes, including the Master of Laws (LLM) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), that prepare graduates to lead in specialised areas of law. These offerings are further enriched by strategic partnerships, such as our collaborations with Leuphana University and the University of Dayton School of Law, which create opportunities for joint initiatives and cross-border learning. Together, these elements position us as a hub for international engagement and thought leadership, ensuring that our students and alumni are ready to shape legal discourse across jurisdictions and industries.”

(The UWI)