Moots and Mock Trials

UP Law's participation in national and international moot court competitions

The Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria (UP Law) has a distinguished and unequalled national and international track record in Moot Court Competitions over the past few decades. 

UP Law mooters continue to excel in various moot court competitions on the Africa continent and in the world. Our mooters' achievements include a proven ranking at the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition in 2018, and the 59th Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, held in Washington DC, as one of the top five universities in the world.

Another UP Law team obtained second place in the 2nd International Children's Rights Moot Court Competition in 2017.

 

UP Law's conceptualisation and creation of national and international moot court competitions 

 

African Human Rights Moot Court Competition

The 1st African Human Rights Moot Court Competition was held in Harare from 11 to 13 September 1992 by the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law. 

Since then, 175 universities from 50 African countries have taken part in this permanent fixture on the Africa legal education calendar. The Moot has been a catalyst for the establishment of the leading programmes in the field of human rights teaching and research in Africa.

The 30th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition adopted a hybrid format, with final rounds hosted by the Faculty of Law, Stellenbosch University, South Africa from 20 to 25 September 2021.  The Centre for Human Rights is celebrating the 30-year milestone of the African Moot Competition as it marks its own 35-year anniversary.

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Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition

The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is in its 13th year of existence.  The first WHRMCC took place on 9 December 2009 and was organised and conceptualised by the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law of the University of Pretoria, in consultation with the OHCHR.

The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is the only global moot court competition explicitly dedicated to human rights.  It is co-organised by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, the Academy on Human Rights, Washington College of Law, American University, and the United Nations Human Rights Council Branch (HRCB), at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The Nelson Mandela Moot Court Competition is an annual event in which students from around the world come together in Geneva to argue a hypothetical human rights case.

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National Schools Moot Court Competition

The first annual National Schools Moot Court Competition took place at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg on National Human Rights Day, 21 March 2011. Teams from four schools in each of the nine provinces – a total of 72 learners - were selected to participate in this ground-breaking event. The second annual National Schools Moot Court Competition took place in April 2012. The third annual National Schools Moot Court Competition took place in August 2013 and the fourth in October 2014. 2020 marked the 10th edition of the Competition.

The NSMCC is a joint initiative of the Department of Basic Education in partnership with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development under the guidance of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), and is supported by the University of Pretoria. All high schools in the country are invited to enter a team of two learners, who argue both sides. 

The NSMCC aims to create greater awareness in schools and communities in South Africa about the Constitution and the values that it embodies through active participation.  It further aims to encourage talented young people to consider pursuing a law career.  This Competition provides a unique opportunity for learners to develop their research, writing and oral advocacy skills as they endeavour to come to grips with some of the constitutional issues that are presently facing our country.  Participants argue their case in any of the 11 official languages of South Africa in the oral rounds before judges in an actual court scenario.

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Child Law Moot Court Competition

The Centre for Child Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria hosts the annual national Child Law Moot Court Competitions, the first of which was hosted in 2010. The Centre for Child Law hosted its 10th Annual Child Law Moot Court Competition from 18 to 19 October 2019.

The aim of the competition is to develop in law students an awareness of children’s rights and child law and expose them to problem solving and litigation in the field of child law.

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- Author UP Law

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