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REGIONAL WRAP-UP It's a far cry from the way things were. Indeed the government itself called the old system, which had been in place for 250 years, "outdated, cumbersome and prone to error." Lawyers couldn't have agreed more. They lobbied hard for changes to the system. Their pleas, it ap- pears, did not fall on deaf ears. Lawyers and the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society were actively consulted during the de- velopment of the new system and the current improvements. The former land-registry system used a property-based approach introduced originally in the 18th century. It de- pended largely on paper records stored at 18 Registry of Deeds offices across the province. Paper records, the government acknowledged, can be easily misfiled and deteriorate over time. The land assets re- corded in this fragile system have an es- timated value of $46 billion. The Faculty of Law at UBC is pleased to announce the outcome of the 2007/2008 Competitive Mooting Season. Special thanks to the law rms and individuals who make our participation in these competitions pos- sible, and congratulations to all for another successful season. ABA Client Counselling Competition Sponsor: Cochran Bradshaw Team: Tara Kyluik, Stephanie Sim, Kelsey McDermott and Jennifer Vallance Advisors: Douglas Cochran, Joan Braun, and Toiressa Jesperson ABA Negotiation Competition Sponsor: Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP Team: Jesse Desilets and Darren Stewart Advisors: Jim Schmidt and Owen James Aboriginal Kawaskimhon Moot Sponsor: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Team: Ian Ashley, Billie Attig, and Jeff Langlois Coach: Jennifer Spencer Advisor: Gordon Christie Canadian Corporate/Securities Moot Sponsor: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Team: Michelle Bourbonnais, Amanda Coen, Catherine Hirbour, Daniel Katzin, and Liz Toews Advisors: Ron Davis and Janis Sarra 2nd Place in Factum Prize. Gale Cup Moot Sponsor: Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP Team: Matthew DeBock, Krista Johansen, Geoff Rawle, and Oliver Pulleyblank Advisors: Janine Benedet and Isabel Grant 3rd Place Factum Prize. Jessup International Moot Sponsor: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP Team: Heather Burgi, Jacqueline Fehr, Kaitlin McKinnon, Jacky Sin, and Emily Williamson Coaches: Tina Cicchetti and Kelly Keenan Advisor: Karin Mickelson Labour Arbitration Moot Sponsors: Harris & Company and Victory Square Law Ofce Team: Shea Coulson and Julie Grenier Advisor: Jim MacIntyre, QC and Ryan Anderson Laskin Moot Sponsor: McCarthy Tétrault LLP Team: Eileen Keast, Tamara Henderson, Doug McLeod, and Paige Morrow Language Coach: Mira Sundara Rajan Advisor: Bill Black Best Oralist Award went to Eileen Keast. Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot Sponsor: Oyen Wiggs Team: Matthew Canzer and Sarah Ng Researcher: Kristi Zychowka Reserve: Ajinkya Tulpule Advisor: Mira Sundara Rajan Only North American team to compete. Advanced to nal round against National University of Singapore. Peter Burns Moot Sponsors: S.R. Chamberlain, QC, Richard CC Peck, QC, & Michael Tammen Competitors: Andrea Alvarez, Emily Arndt, Mike Berger, Scott Bernstein, Elsa Chow, Jennifer Lee, Thomas Moran, and Ashley Syer Advisors: Christine Boyle and Karima Andani Coaches: The Honourable Judges Joseph Galati, Ellen Gordon, Jocelyn Palmer, and Herbert Weitzel, and Vancouver lawyers Andrew Cochrane, Joe Doyle, Richard Fowler, Chris Johnson, Tara Laker, Matt Nathanson, Hank Reiner, QC, and Patti Tomasson Winners: Thomas Moran and Ashley Syer. Sopinka Cup Moot Sponsor: The Advocates Society Team: Thomas Moran and Ashley Syer Advisor: Christine Boyle Coaches: Karima Andani and Patti Tomasson 2nd Place. Ashley Syer awarded for Best Cross-Examination. UBC/UVic Moot Sponsor: Davis LLP Team: Aaron Atkinson, Dan Barber, Gavin Cameron, Mitch Dermer, and Sam de Groot Advisors: Joost Blom, QC and Elizabeth Edinger Western Canada Moot (MacIntyre Cup) Sponsor: Jim MacIntyre, QC Team: Thomas Moran and Ashley Syer Advisor: Christine Boyle Place. Ashley Syer received the Attorney General's Award for Best Individual Counsel and Thomas Moran won for Best Closing. Advanced to the Sopinka Cup. Coaches: Karima Andani and Patti Tomasson 1st Wilson Moot Sponsor: Heenan Blaikie LLP Place. Brenda Belak and Aileen Smith placed 4th respectively in the Top Oralist rankings. 14 JULY 2008 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com ntitled-8 1 6/12/08 2:15:41 PM Team: Brenda Belak, Stephanie Gutierrez, Leneigh Johnston, Jennifer O'Leary, and Aileen Smith Advisors: Robin Elliot, QC and Margot Young 1st and 5th Now property records are linked to land parcel instead of the landowner's name. Each parcel of land is linked to a property identification number, a PID, and registration is keyed to the parcel of land. When all properties have been transferred to the new system, which may take another eight years, historic title searches will be possible online and ownership information will be available within seconds. As well, the government now guarantees ownership for any property registered in the new system. This was not possible under the previ- ous system. Currently, lawyers can submit most land-related documents directly from their desks to any one of the provincial land-registration offices for recording or registration. They also have access to paper records from 1749, the year Edward Cornwallis sailed into Halifax Harbour. The advantages to the new system are significant. First, property transactions can be completed more quickly — in half the time, the government has esti- mated. As well, costs are lower because the hours required for title-searching have been slashed and lawyers no lon- ger have to visit to various government offices to view documents. They can also breathe easier. Information in the electronic system of the 21st century is more reliable. It needs to be. Today's registry con- tains more than 19 million pieces of paper, and there are more than 100,000 registry transactions in the province every year. Clearly, there is no room for a system that is outdated, cumbersome, and prone to error. — DONALEE MOULTON donalee@quantumcommunications.ca