UP Law's mooters ranked amongst the top five speakers on the Africa Continent

Posted on July 10, 2019

 

From 1 to 6 July 2019 the UP Moot Society team of the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria participated in the  28th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition  (AHRMCC) held at the University  of Botswana in Gabarone.

In reality, for the members and coaches of the UP Moot team the journey started several long months before crossing the border as it took hours to research the hypothetical case, compile their memorials and prepare their oral presentations to the court based on their findings.

UP’s  prominent  position  in  the  mooting  arena  was  re-affirmed  as  far  as  the  results  go  — the  team  arguably  outperformed  that  which  participated  in  2018.  This  is  an  indication  of substantial  peer skills  transfer  within  the  mooting  tradition  at  UP  and  portends  well  for  the future.  

Both  UP  Mooters  individually  ranked  amongst  the  top  5  speakers  on  the  African  Continent in  the  Anglophone  category  (Kirantaba  Coetzee  ranked  second  and  Phenyo  Sekati  ranked fifth).  Overall,  the  team  ranked  fourth and  were  runners-up  in  the  finals,  narrowly  losing  by  a mere  four  points.  Notably,  UP  ranked  as  the  top  South  African  University  at  the  competition, and  both  UP  speakers  are  positioned  as  the  top  speakers  from  South  Africa, which is a phenomenal achievement.  In addition,  Faculty representative and coach Nicholas Herd was selected by fellow Judges to act as the Presiding  Judge in the preliminary elimination rounds.  

As mooting is a vital skill for law students, we encourage all UP law students to participate in the various moots throughout the academic year, which guarantees a steep increase in knowledge and advocacy skills, combined with writing and research skills, as well as high quality peer training and ensuring a platform for continued success for our future students.  

Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, Prof Tawane Kupe, aptly mentioned in his address at the Opening Ceremony on 1 July that (paraphrased) ‘Mooting on a continental scale allows for the development, honing and implementation of many critical skills such as oratory, communication, writing and research skills. Therefore, moots provide unique opportunities to establish inter-university networks that directly and indirectly serve students and universities institutionally.  It is indeed a worthwhile expenditure and investment of time, effort and energy.’

The UP AHRMCC team is proud to report that it made good use of the opportunities afforded to them and is very grateful to everyone who supported them on this learning-curve adventure.  A special word of thanks to assistant coach Kyle Cloete for his contribution to get the team across the finishing line.  Lastly, a vote of thanks to the Centre for Human Rights for the role it continues to play in providing a continental and global platform for discussions, education and cross-pollination of ideas and skills on the recognition and advancement of human rights, towards the collective benefit of our shared humanity.

The Judges of the Competition were Commissioner Mrs Jamesina Essie King (African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights); Lady Justice Maria Mapani-Kawimbe (Judge of the High Court of Zambia and member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child); Prof Laurence Burgorgue-Larsen (Judge of the Constitutional Court of Andorra); Ms Farida Mamad (Deputy Director of the Judiciary School of Mozambique); Mr Alexander McLean (Founder and Director of the African Prisons Project); Justice Terence Rannowane (Chief Justice of Botswana); and Dr David Padilla (former Assistant Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights).

The UP Moot Society extends congratulations to the winning teams of the 2019 AHRMCC.

The AHRMCC is the largest gathering of students, academics and judges around the theme of human rights in Africa. This annual event brings together all law faculties in Africa, whose top students argue a hypothetical human rights case as if they were before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. It continuously prepares new generations of lawyers to argue cases of alleged human rights violations before the ‘African Court’.

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The Faculty of Law congratulates the UP mooters on their achievement.  Once again you have made us very proud!  -  Ed.

 

- Author Nic Herd/Elzet Hurter

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