Campus News in Brief
By News Co-Editor | Nov 23 2018
UCD Students top DCU in National Moot Court CompetitionStudents from UCD’s Sutherland School of Law beat DCU to come first in the National Moot Court Competition held on 12th November. UCD was represented by Mark O’Brien O'Reilly and Mark Gilmore who, respectively, study Law with History and Law. The finals were judged by Supreme Court Judge Elizabeth Dunne, High Court Judge Tony O’Connor and Christine Simpson, an associate solicitor from Matheson, a law firm sponsoring the competition. The Moot Court Competitions have teams of law students engage in a mock trial, and are fiercely contested every year by the top law students in the country. The finals centred around the tort of passing off, which centres around trademark law. UCD scientists make breakthrough with diabetes pillOver the past ten years, the number of people suffering from diabetes has increased dramatically. Scientists who study it have pointed to unhealthy Western diets and lack of exercise as key causes of the rise of Type 2 diabetes. The most common form of treatment for Type 2 diabetes is a stringent diet and exercise plan, usually followed later in life by the daily injection of insulin. However, breakthroughs are being made thanks to scientists led by Professor David Brayden in UCD’s Veterinary Hospital. He and his team are working on making insulin tablets, to replace injections, and vastly improve people’s quality of life. Speaking to the Irish Mirror, Professor Brayden said that patients would be much more inclined to take the medication orally, rather than through a needle, “we know because inhaled insulin has been achieved, we know patients prefer other routes apart from injection.” He says that due to the “psychological leap” patients make when beginning daily insulin injections, this can lead them to delaying their treatment. There are hopes that this problem will be avoided with the introduction of insulin in tablet UCDSU make noise at consent march Members of the UCDSU Sabbatical team joined Ruth Coppinger TD in the city centre on Wednesday the 14th November, protesting remarks made by a defence barrister in a rape trial. According to the Irish Times, the barrister Elizabeth O’Connell suggested that the 17 year old’s choice of underwear held some bearing on what had happened to her. She told the jury “does the evidence out-rule the possibility that she was attracted to the defendant and was open to meeting someone and being with someone? You have to look at the way she was dressed. She was wearing a thong with a lace front.” The jury went on to acquit the man. The news of this has caused outrage, with Deputy Coppinger making headlines by bringing a pair of underwear into the Dáil. Marches took place in cities across the country, with many protestors laying underwear on courthouse steps and attaching them to signs. UCDSU President Barry Murphy and Welfare Officers Melissa Plunkett were pictured with Ms. Coppinger holding signs with underwear attached, and calling for “legal reform in rape trials.”The case has drawn international attention and condemnation. Many groups have come out strongly against what they see as the blatant victim blaming, and are pointing out that Elizabeth O’Connell’s remarks were not out of the ordinary for cases of sexual assault.