Congratulations to Ben Zelenka Martin, winner of this year’s Gray’s Inn Moot Competition, and of the Three Raymond Buildings Du Cann Prize for Excellence in Advocacy.
Richard Du Cann QC was one of the foremost – and formidable – advocates of his generation, a student and later a Master of the Bench of Gray’s Inn, who practised from these Chambers for 40 years. As well as having a distinguished career at the Bar, he had a long association with the Inns of Court School of Law, including serving as Vice-Chairman of its governing body and chairing its Finance Committee. He died in August 1994 and it was only fitting that Chambers should honour his career by the setting up of an award.
For the first ten years, the prize of £1,500 was known as The Du Cann Memorial Prize for Excellence in Advocacy. It was administered by the ICSL and awarded annually to the student obtaining the highest aggregate mark in the Advocacy Assessments on the Bar Vocational Course.
Since 2008 we have been proud to associate our award with the Gray’s Inn Moot Competition, and we take great pleasure in attending the finals and witnessing the skills of the winner first-hand.
John Hardy QC, a Master of the Bench of Gray’s Inn, presented Ben with the annual prize of a cheque for £1,500 plus a copy of Richard Du Cann’s book, the Art of the Advocate, which is commended to all students as essential reading, even today.
Ben graduated from Brasenose College, Oxford, in 2012 with a First Class Honours Degree in PPE, and subsequently graduated with a High Pass in his BPhil Philosophy. He converted to law at City University where he achieved a Distinction in the GDL, and is currently studying the BPTC at City University.
In October this year, Ben will be commencing pupillage at One Essex Court. We send him our best wishes for a successful and enjoyable career at the Bar.
19th May 2016
