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| | UG Adjudged Best Oralist At 20th African Human Rights Moot Competition |    | | |  The University of Ghana has won the best Oralist Award at the 20th edition of the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition hosted by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Law student, Dennis Armah who was adjudged the winner, received the award for the overall best oralist, and for the sterling display of advocacy skills. This is the second time that the University of Ghana has won this prestigious award following Mr. Kwame Akuffo’s victory in 1995. Another student, Benedicta Armah placed seventh, thus both falling within the elite best 10 oralists.
The animated and fascinating final round was held at the Conference Hall of the SA Reserve Bank in Pretoria and adjudicated by five members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the Chairperson, Advocate Reine Alapini Gansou. In the end, the Respondent team won the trophy.
The African Human Rights Moot provides a rare opportunity for law students across the continent to hone their skills in preparation towards becoming the next generation of human rights scholars and advocates in Africa. Each year, a particular theme on human rights is chosen around which a hypothetical case is framed for students to prepare their memorials and make oral presentations before a panel of judges..
The competition represents the largest annual gathering in Africa of students and lecturers of law. This year’s competition was on the theme ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Their Land against Mineral Exploitation’ coincided with the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Human Rights.
According to the rules of the game, each team is given the opportunity to take part in four preliminary rounds out of which the best four teams from the Anglophone section and two from the Francophone qualify for the grande finale. Thus, by winning all their four rounds and coming out as the overall third best team, University of Ghana team, made up of Mr. Dennis Armah and Miss Benedicta Armah, reached the final. It teamed up with Moi University (Kenya) and Université Gaston Berger (Senegal) to argue for the Applicants in the case to face the combined team of University of Pretoria (South Africa), University of Botswana and Université de Cocody (Côte d’Ivoire) for the Respondents.
University of Ghana’s record in the competition remains outstanding, participating three times in the finalsin the past five years under the management of Dr. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua. The University has won two awards, , an enviable feat in the records of the competition. The University also remains among the universities that have won the competition for the most times while its record of being the only anglophone team to have successfully defended a title remains intact.
Other participating teams included the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Fifty-three university teams from twenty-two African countries took part in this year’s competition which was graced by a special message from Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu through a special letter. Archbishop Tutu encouraged the participants to promote the African spirit of ubuntu – the essence of humanity and noted that “by taking part in the 20th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition in Pretoria this July 2011, the students are joining the ranks of a new generation in whose hands the realisation of human rights in Africa ultimately rests.”
Meanwhile the team, led by Moot Coordinator, Dr. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has called on Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Kweku Osam, to inform him of the achievement and officially present the shields won at the event.
Prof. Osam congratulated the team for the achievement. He said he was glad that participants over the years have been able to maintain a tradition of excellence at the competition. He noted that the University will explore ways of supporting teams to future events. | | | | Date Published: 05/08/2011 | | | |   |
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