World Human Rights Moot Court Competition
Encyclopedia
The World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is a moot court
competition on international human rights law
. In 2009 the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law's Centre for Human Rights
, with the assistance of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
, organised the inaugural World Human Rights Moot Court Competition. The oral rounds of the competition are held annually on 8 and 9 December in Pretoria
, the administrative and de facto
capital of South Africa
.
in either English or French as if it will be adjudicated by a hypothetical International Human Rights Court, on the basis of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and other applicable (such as regional) human rights instruments. A winner is announced for each United Nations world region.
presided in the 2010 final .
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
competition on international human rights law
International human rights law
International human rights law refers to the body of international law designed to promote and protect human rights at the international, regional and domestic levels...
. In 2009 the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law's Centre for Human Rights
Centre for Human Rights
The University of Pretoria Faculty of Law was established in 1908 and consists of five academic departments, six centers, a law clinic and it's own publisher the Pretoria University Law Press...
, with the assistance of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948...
, organised the inaugural World Human Rights Moot Court Competition. The oral rounds of the competition are held annually on 8 and 9 December in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, the administrative and de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
capital of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Moot format
The moot involves a written round after which teams are selected for the oral round. Teams argue a hypothetical case on issues of international human rights lawInternational human rights law
International human rights law refers to the body of international law designed to promote and protect human rights at the international, regional and domestic levels...
in either English or French as if it will be adjudicated by a hypothetical International Human Rights Court, on the basis of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
and other applicable (such as regional) human rights instruments. A winner is announced for each United Nations world region.
Judges
The regional rounds are judged by distinguished legal academics and legal professionals from around the world. In the final round, the panel is made up of eminent jurists and judges from international tribunals and bodies such as the different regional human rights courts and UN human rights treaty bodies. The inaugural presiding judge was Navi Pillay and Judge Mark Villiger of the European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
presided in the 2010 final .
| Year | Judge | Recent Relevant Office |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | High Commissioner Navanethem Pillay (Presiding) | United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
| Ms Nicole Lewis | Previously associate legal officer at the Special Court for Sierra Leone Special Court for Sierra Leone The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War... and the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia |
|
| Justice Arthur Chaskalson Arthur Chaskalson Arthur Chaskalson, is a former President of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and Chief Justice of South Africa... |
Previous Chief Justice of the South African Constitutional Court | |
| Justice Pius Langa Pius Langa Pius Nkonzo Langa was previously Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. He was appointed to the bench in 1994 by Nelson Mandela, became Deputy Chief Justice in 2001 and was elevated as Chief Justice in 2005 by Thabo Mbeki. He retired in October 2009.-External links:**... |
Previous Chief Justice of the South African Constitutional Court | |
| Mr David Johnson David Johnson David Johnson may refer to:* C. David Johnson , Canadian actor* David Johnson , American painter* David Johnson , American former college football quarterback... |
Senior official of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948... |
|
| Advocate Olajobi Makinwa | Solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of Nigeria | |
| Professor Michelo Hansungule | Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists International Commission of Jurists The International Commission of Jurists is an international human rights non-governmental organization. The Commission itself is a standing group of 60 eminent jurists , including members of the senior judiciary in Australia, Canada, and South Africa and the former UN High Commissioner for Human... and a member of the Expert Advisory Group of UNIFERM |
|
| Dr George William Mugwanyais | Senior Appeals Counsel at the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan... |
|
| 2010 | Judge Mark Villiger (Presiding) | Judge of the European Court of Human Rights European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or... |
| Judge Anita Ušacka Anita Ušacka Anita Ušacka is a Latvian judge and legal academic. She has been a judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia and the International Criminal Court... |
Judge of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the... |
|
| Justice Florence Ndepele Mumba | Former Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a... |
|
| Ms Yanine Poc | Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Southern Africa, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948... |
|
| Mr Uli Parulian Sihombing | Executive Director of the Indonesian Legal Resource Center | |
Previous Overall winners
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Best Memorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| 2010 | University of the West Indies University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,... (Jamaica) |
University of Sydney University of Sydney The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania... (Australia) |
Ateneo de Manila University Ateneo de Manila University The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits... (Philippines) |
Previous Regional winners
| Year | Region | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Africa | The American University in Cairo (Egypt) | University of Yaoundé University of Yaoundé The University of Yaoundé is a leading university in Cameroon, located in Yaoundé.It was built with the help of France and opened in 1962 as the Federal University of Yaoundé, dropping the "Federal" in 1972 when the country was reorganized.... , International Relations Institute (Cameroon) |
| Western Europe | University of Lucerne University of Lucerne The University of Lucerne is a public university with a campus in Luzern, Switzerland. 1231 undergraduates and 1061 postgraduate students attend the university, which makes it Switzerland's smallest university.... (Switzerland) |
Freie University, Berlin (Germany) | |
| Eastern Europe | Institute of International Relations of National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv(Ukraine) | Debrecen University (Hungary) | |
| Asia | National Law School of India (India) | Gujarat National Law University Gujarat National Law University Gujarat National Law University is a statutory university established by the Government of Gujarat under the Gujarat National University Act, 2003. This University is based in the city of Gandhinagar, which is the capital of Gujarat and is located 30 kilometers north to the metropolitan city of... (India) |
|
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (Brazil) | Universidad Juarez Del Estado De Durango (Mexico) | |
| 2010 | Africa (Tie) | Midlands State University Midlands State University Midlands State University is a University in Zimbabwe offering different courses mainly in the commercial and arts sector. The University was previously called Gweru Teachers' College, which was primarily a teacher training college under the University of Zimbabwe... (Zimbabwe) University of KwaZulu-Natal University of KwaZulu-Natal The University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.-History:-University of... (South Africa) |
|
| Western Europe & Other | University of Sydney University of Sydney The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania... (Australia) |
||
| Eastern Europe | Vilnius University Vilnius University Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania.... (Lithuania) |
||
| Asia | Ateneo de Manila University Ateneo de Manila University The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits... (Philippines) |
||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | University of the West Indies University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,... (Jamaica) |
||
See also
- Moot courtMoot courtA moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
- Centre for Human RightsCentre for Human RightsThe University of Pretoria Faculty of Law was established in 1908 and consists of five academic departments, six centers, a law clinic and it's own publisher the Pretoria University Law Press...
- African Human Rights Moot Court CompetitionAfrican Human Rights Moot Court CompetitionThe African Human Rights Moot Court Competition is an international moot court competition with a special focus on human rights in Africa. The competition is organised by the Centre for Human Rights, based at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law in South Africa. Each year, the competition is...
- South African National Schools Moot Court CompetitionSouth African National Schools Moot Court CompetitionThe South African National Schools Moot Court Competition is an annual moot court competition established in 2011 aimed at creating greater consciousness and understanding in South African schools and communities about the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the values embodied by it...