World Human Rights Moot Court Competition
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The Nelson Mandela 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 edition. Previously, the oral rounds of the competition were held annually in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa.[2][3] In more recent years, the competition has been held in Geneva, where the United Nations is headquartered.[4]
More than pure aspirations, human rights are real rights that can be tested in courts of law. The World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is an exciting way for students from around the world to deepen their knowledge of rights and learn from each other.
— Navi Pillay,
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights[5]
| |
| Established | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Geneva |
| Subject matter | International human rights |
| Class | International[1] |
| Record participation | 92 teams (2024) |
| Qualification | Regional rounds |
| Most championships | Norman Manley Law School (3) |
| Website | www |
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 law in English, Spanish, 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.[6]
The regional rounds are judged by distinguished legal academics and legal professionals from around the world. In the final for the international rounds, 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,[7][8] while Judge Mark Villiger of the European Court of Human Rights presided in the 2010 final.[9]
Previous overall winners (English rounds)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Best Memorial | Best Oralist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009[10] | None declared | None declared | None declared | None declared |
| 2010[11] | Norman Manley Law School | University of Sydney | Ateneo de Manila University | Norman Manley Law School |
| 2011[12] | Norman Manley Law School | Yale University | Ateneo de Manila University | Yale University |
| 2012[13] | Norman Manley Law School[14] | University of Auckland | None declared | None declared |
| 2013[15] | None declared | None declared | None declared | None declared |
| 2014[16] | University of New South Wales[17] | University of Lucerne | University of New South Wales | University of New South Wales |
| 2015[18] | University of São Paulo | Yale University | Symbiosis Law School | University of São Paulo |
| 2016[19] | Patrick Henry College[20] | Moi University | None declared | None declared |
| 2017[21] | St Thomas University | University of Buenos Aires | Midlands State University | Strathmore University |
| 2018[22] | University of Buenos Aires | St Thomas University | Midlands State University | University of Oxford |
| 2019[23] | University of Oxford | Macquarie University | None declared | University of Oxford |
| 2020 (online) | Strathmore University | Kenyatta University | National University of Singapore | Army Institute of Law |
| 2021 (online)[24] | Strathmore University | Universidad Central del Ecuador | Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia | Universidad Central del Ecuador |
| 2022[25] | Singapore Management University | Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights | University of Oxford | |
| 2023[26] | National University of Advanced Legal Studies | St Thomas University | University of Bueno Aires | St Thomas University |
| 2024 | University of New South Wales | Singapore Management University | Nelson Mandela University |