Nicholas Melling and Jeannine Plamondon win 2010 Guérin Cup

Last Friday at the Montreal Courthouse, the team of Nicholas Melling and Jeannine Plamondon (on photo, surrounded by coaches Julio Peris and Ron Sklar) competed in and won the Guy-Guérin Cup, which is the Quebec regional round for the Sopinka Cup.  In addition, Melling won the individual prize for the "Best examination-in-chief."

This year's problem was a murder prosecution arising out of a killing in a bar fight, with defences based on lack of intent to kill and on self-defence.  According to their coach, Professor Ron Sklar, "This year's problem differed in that the central issue was the cause of the victim's death, and on that issue, forensic reports were critical pieces of evidence. Nicholas and Jeannine were exceptional. They have great trial advocacy skills and practiced very hard to prepare for this moot."

Melling and Plamondon will be heading over to Ottawa for the national Sopinka Cup competition on March 12-13.  Since the McGill team represented the defence in the Guérin Cup, it is expected they will switch over to the Crown for the Sopinka.

As in the past, Crown Prosecutor Lori Weitzman, criminal defence lawyer Julio Peris and professor Ron Sklar tirelessly gave of their time and advice to help get the McGill team into fighting shape.

The law firms of McCarthy Tetrault and Stikeman Elliott are co-sponsors of the Guy-Guérin competition.  It is named in honour of judge Guy Guérin (1927-1994), who was justice (1968-1994) and then chief justice (1985-1988) of the Court of the Sessions of the Peace, which became the Court of Quebec, Criminal and Penal Division in 1988.

The Faculty warmly congratulates Nicholas and Jeannine, and wishes them the greatest of successes in Ottawa next month!