The University of Pretoria, Centre for Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, continues its host collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, Department of Justice, and South African Human Rights Commission for the annual National Schools Moot competition in its 24th installment. The competition is instrumental in introducing students to the possibility of a legal career, as they compete in district, regional, and provincial rounds in the hopes of qualifying for the national oral rounds.

Prof Maimela, Deputy Dean at UP Law, welcomed learners, educators, some parents, and representatives from partner groups to the oral rounds knock-out rounds, which took place at UP Hatfield Campus on September 25 and 26. Dr. Reginah Mhaule, Deputy Minister of Basic Education, addressed this year's inaugural address, emphasizing the importance of the competition in creating the country's future legal practitioners and scholars. 

The top 16 Moot Schools descended on the University of Pretoria to compete for a spot in the top four for the grand finale, which took place on September 29th at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg. The competition trains competitors in research, writing, and oral communication skills so that they can present their arguments in front of judges in a real-world courtroom setting. Students are provided a resource bundle that includes essay writing and oral pleading guidelines to help them prepare arguments for hypothetical cases to debate.

The finalists were guided by a diverse team of legal experts led by Judge Rammaka Steven Mathapo from the Constitutional Court. They prepared the teams to present their arguments before a full bench of Constitutional Court Judges, which included Judges from the Gauteng Division of the High Court Pretoria, a team of Judges from Johannesburg, a team of Judges from the Western Cape Division of the High Court, and a team from the Mpumalanga Division.

On Sunday, September 29th, during the final rounds, Full-time Commissioner of the South African Human Rights Commission Prof. Tshepo Madlingozi welcomed the finalists and distinguished guests. Thaba Chweu Boarding School from Mpumalanga, Hoer Skool Vanderbijlpark from Gauteng, Kimberley Technical High School from the Northern Cape, and Ndabankulu Senior Secondary School from the Eastern Cape provinces all advanced to the finals. 

Miss Ofentse Masango of Hoer Skool Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng Province was awarded the 2024 National Schools Moot Court Programme (NSMCP) Best Oralist award. The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Education won three awards: Best Coordinated Province, Best Overall Essay, and Best Respondent Essay, all of which Empangeni High School obtained.

Mr. Andries Nel, the Deputy Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development, described it as "the highlight of my career" - my one (and most likely only) opportunity to appear fully robed before the Constitutional Court. Congratulations to the actual attorneys - the excellent teams competing in the Schools Moot Court Competition, founded by the late Professor Christof Heyns.

Congratulations to all the teams who worked hard to prepare their arguments and lift the bar even higher in this year's National Schools Moot Court Programme (NSMCP). They all showed championship spirit and determination. Most importantly, kudos to the Gauteng and Eastern Cape teams who won the 2024 championships. An awesome job to everyone involved in organising this remarkable event.