Legon Wins African Human Rights Court Contest

The Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana, Legon, has won the African Human Rights Court competition title for the second time in succession.

“Before a capacity crowd at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, the team partnered with Universidade Eduardo Modlane of Mozambique and Université de Dschang of Cameroun to give a spectacular performance which earned them the crown as winners of the 18th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition.”

A press release signed by Dr Kwadwo Appiagyei Attua, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Legon, said by that feat, Legon and Universidad Eduardo Modlane had set the enviable record of becoming the first universities in the 18-year history of the competition to make a successful defence of the title,having earlier emerged group winners in the 2008 competition held in Pretoria, South Africa.

It said by that feat, Ghana had also joined the elite club of four faculties that had won the competition three times. The African Human Rights Moot Court Competition is an annual event which attracts faculties of law from across Africa to moot over a case prepared around topical human rights issues confronting the continent.

It is the brainchild of the Human Rights Centre, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and represents the largest gathering of law students and faculty members on the continent.

For this year, the competition attracted representation from over 30 African countries, represented by 78 faculties of law from all the three language zones of Africa, with the Anglophones in the majority.

According to the release, the competition was aimed at giving young and budding African lawyers the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills but, more important, to deepen their knowledge and understanding on the application of human rights law in the courts.

“It is also to offer students and faculty members the opportunity to network and develop professional relationships among one another,” the release stated.

Legon was represented by Ms Adelaide Kobiri and Mr Justice Srem-Sai, who were personally coached by Dr Kwadwo Appiagyei, and whose outstanding performance won the hearts of all who saw them moot. The session was chaired by Justice Lawal Uwais, immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria.