The Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is proud to announce that their TuksLaw mooters walked away as winners of the English rounds of the 23rd African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, which was hosted by the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the University of Nairobi, Kenya from 1 to 6 September 2014 at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

During the second and third day of the competition, student teams from various universities on the continent argued a hypothetical case before a panel of judges.  The finalists were announced on 3 September after the results were verified by an independent auditor. The finalists who appeared in the final round on 6 September 2014 were for the applicant the University of Nairobi, Kenya and Université Gaston Berger Saint-Louis du Sénégal and for the Respondent the University of Pretoria, South Africa and Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d'Ivoire.

The English team rankings saw the University of Pretoria, South Africa, walking away with top laurels in the English Best Teams and Best Speakers divisions.  The team obtained an average of 83.531%.  Alaistair Dey van Heerden received the award for best oralist in the English Division with an average of 84.42% with team member Ralph Tionmutendas Chitambira a close second with an average of 83.08%.  The TuksLaw team obtained third place in the English Memorials rankings. 

Coach Gift Kgomosotho says that ‘this experience was very much a learning experience for me, as it was for the team, since this was my first coaching opportunity. I tried to impart all of my knowledge and skills to the team. The team was a combination of natural talent and sheer dedication, and they have demonstrated absolute commitment to the Moot Society, the Faculty of Law and to the University of Pretoria. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved. They remain the best team at the Competition, and have fallen short by 0.15% from winning in the combined final round. The legal fraternity has an asset in them and I am looking forward to working with them in future.’

According to mooter Raphael Chitambira ‘it was my love for litigation that first drew me towards mooting. However, once I started, I realised that mooting is so much more than just that. It tests every aspect of your legal arsenal - from researching, to drafting memorials, being an oralist and most importantly, being able to structure responses as efficiently and concisely as possible.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Faculty of Law for the funding and all their support throughout this journey. I cannot quantify in words how much I have gained from this experience.  I just wish more of my peers could be exposed to an experience such as this. Studying for an exam is one thing, but having to find novel legal solutions to "open" and "double-ended" questions are the true challenge of the modern day lawyer.  Many thanks to everyone who has assisted in the preparations, and provided us with constructive feedback and guidance. To my team, for their commitment and guidance throughout, as I could not possibly have done it alone.’

“The experience of mooting for TuksLaw at the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition is one that I won't soon forget. It was an absolute honour to be able to represent the Faculty and the University of Pretoria at such a prestigious event. The level of support we received from the Faculty and the Moot Exco Committee was inspiring and helped us through both the arduous task of memorial preparation as well as the glamorous task of presenting our arguments to experts in the field of human rights during oral rounds” commented Alastair Dey van Heerden on his return from Kenya.  He continued to say that “the highlight of the competition was undoubtedly the final round in which we were paired with a French team and had to present our case to, among others, Justice Elsie Thompson, Justice of the African Court on Human and People's Rights, Justice Johan Kriegler, a former justice of the South African Constitutional Court, Justice Wally Seretu, Chief Justice of the Kenyan Constitutional Court and Commissioner Zainabo Sylvie Kayitesi, the Deputy Chair of the African Commission. The experience was surreal and one which will remain with me for a very long time to come.”  (Click to read Alastair’s full comments).

The African Human Rights Moot Court Competition was held for the first time in Kenya, where the breathtaking vistas of the majestic Mount Kenya and the gigantic Great Rift Valley are home to some of the most extraordinary wildlife in the world. From the islands of Lamu and Malindi, to the shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya is a marvellous example of the rich culture, ethnic diversity and the incredible human achievement that Africa represents. From its bustling capital city Nairobi, Kenya the people of Kenya warmly welcomed the 23rd African Human Rights Moot Court Competition.

The proud winning team, accompanied by the Chair of the Moot Society, Mary-Ann Gettliffe, formally handed over the trophies to the

Deans of the Faculty of Law, Prof André Boraine (left) and Prof Anton Kok (right) on their return to South Africa.

Far right is Prof Christof Heyns, Co-director of ICLA and a staunch supporter of the TuksLaw mooting teams.