The Wilson Moot 2012 was held on Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Federal Court facility in Toronto.  The final moot this year saw the University of Toronto and McGill University argue before a panel consisting of the Honourable Justice Kathryn Feldman of the Court of Appeal for Ontario; Melanie Aitken, the Commissioner of Competition for Canada and founder of the Wilson Moot; and leading feminist human rights lawyer Mary Cornish, a partner at Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish LLP.  The moot problem required mooters to address the issue of whether proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act infringe on a refugee’s right to equality under section 15(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The winner of the 2012 Wilson Moot was the University of Toronto with McGill University placing second and Osgoode Hall Law School placing third.  The University of Toronto won the prize for best written argument followed by the University of Manitoba and Osgoode Hall Law School.  Andrew McLean, from the University of Windsor, won the prize for top oralist. Michael Sabet from the University of Toronto placed second and Eric Neubauer of Osgoode Hall Law School placed third.

University of Toronto photo
(L-R): Madam Justice Kathryn Feldman of the Court of Appeal for Ontario (moot judge) with University of Toronto team members Denise Cooney, Hayley Peglar, Jeremy Nemers and Michael Sabet (2nd place oralist)

McGill University photo
(L-R): McGill University team members Silvia Dimitrova, Arthur Ayers, Madam Justice Kathryn Feldman, Court of Appeal for Ontario (moot judge), Anna Piekarzewski and Malcolm Lavoie

University of Toronto photo
(L-R): Melanie Aitken, Commissioner of Competition for Canada (moot judge) with University of Toronto team members Michael Sabet (2nd place oralist), Hayley Peglar, Denise Cooney and Jeremy Nemers

University of Manitoba photo
(L-R): Tony Kavanagh (coach), Melanie Aitken Commissioner of Competition for Canada (moot judge) with University of Manitoba team members David Meagher, Annika Friesen, Jaime Rosin and Brad Findlater

Osgoode Hall Law School photo
(L-R): Melanie Aitken, Commissioner of Competition for Canada (moot judge) with Osgoode Hall team members Stephanie Voudouris, Christopher Hunter, Eric Neubauer (3rd place oralist), Stephanie Pope and Philip Pollack