UWA law graduates Joseph Wheeler, of Camillo, and Auguste Hocking, of Nedlands, had never met before last year.
However, they found themselves in the same postgraduate class a world away from Perth – in Canada – as students of McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Law.
The two aviation law enthusiasts had shunned regular legal careers, seeking instead the exciting world of aviation law.
Upon meeting in Montreal, they quickly became friends and were selected for the McGill University team which, on March 14, won the second Sarin-Leiden International Air Law Moot Court competition in Dubai.
Mr Wheeler and Mr Hocking were lead speakers, and their team scored the highest totals for both the applicant’s and respondent’s written memorial/oral argument after two days of semifinal mock court hearings against nine other international teams.
A panel of international aviation law experts judged the finals, which resulted in a first-time win for McGill University.
Meanwhile, Mr Wheeler has completed his Graduate Certificate and returned to Perth. He has since been asked to speak at the Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand’s annual conference in Queensland on one of the major topics of the moot competition – the impact of volcanic ash on international civil aviation.