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2023

The 32nd edition of the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition brought together 47 teams from 14 African countries in Kumasi, Ghana. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology from 3 – 9 September 2023 hosted the biggest gathering since before covid.

The competition started with preliminary rounds, during which 36 anglophone, 9 francophone, and 2 lusophone teams argued both sides of the hypothetical case. After rigorous arguments, ultimately 3 anglophone teams and 1 francophone team made it through to the finals.

The 3 anglophone finalist teams to advance from the semi-final rounds were: Kenyatta University (Kenya), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), and University of Nairobi (Kenya).  Université Thomas Sankara (Burkina Faso) emerged as the top team in the francophone stream.

A unique feature of the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition is that the moot ceases to be a university-focused competition in the final. Instead, the final aims to be a collaborative endeavour to challenge teams to work together beyond the colonial language divides and legal traditions. Finalists are paired into two combined teams with one combined team arguing the applicant’s case and the other the respondent State’s case.

The University of Nairobi and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology formed the combined team that represented the Applicant. The respondent was represented by Kenyatta University and Université Thomas Sankara, who emerged as the winners.

The two opposing teams appeared before a bench of five eminent jurists that was chaired by Justice Dr Ernest Owusu-Dapaa, judge of the Court of Appeal of Ghana. The other four judges were Justice Sylvain Oré (former President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights), Hon. Wilson Adão (member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child), Professor Laurence Burgorgue-Larsen (Professor of Law, Université Paris 1) and Advocate Clàudio Foquiço (Attorney and Vice President of the Human Rights Commission of the Bar Association of Mozambique). At the end of the moot court competition the Dean of the faculty of law, University of Pretoria, Professor Elsabe Schoeman, gave closing remarks and thanked all the stakeholders, participants and organisers who contributed in making the event a success.


2023 Documents 

pdfHypothetical Case 
pdfOfficial Rules  
pdfMemorial Cover  
pdf
Programme
pdfWinning memorial (Applicant)
pdfWinning memorial (Respondent)


Memorial ranking

English-speaking teams

University

Country

1.    Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Ghana

2.    University of South Africa

South Africa

3.    Kenyatta University

Kenya

4.    University of Cape Town

South Africa

5.    University of Nairobi

Kenya

6.    University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa

7.    University of Fort Hare

South Africa

8.    Stellenbosch University

South Africa

9.    Uganda Christian University

Uganda

10.    University of Lagos

Nigeria

11.    University of Cape Coast

Ghana

12.    Makerere University

Uganda

13.    Moi University

 Kenya

14.    Muslim University of Morogoro

 Tanzania

15.    Rhodes University

South Africa

16.    University of Calabar

Nigeria

17.    Kabarak University

Kenya

18.    University of Ghana

Ghana

19.    University of the Free State

South Africa

20.    University of Johannesburg

South Africa

21.    Nelson Mandela University

South Africa

22.    Great Zimbabwe University

Zimbabwe

23.    University of Lusaka

Zambia

24.    Midlands State University

Zimbabwe

25.    Tshwane University of Technology

 South Africa

26.    Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration

Ghana

27.    Obafemi Awolowo University

Nigeria

28.    Bayero University Kano

Nigeria

29.    University of Botswana

Botswana

30.    Haramaya University

Ethiopia

31.    University of Pretoria

South Africa

32.    University of Ilorin

Nigeria

33.    University of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

34.    University of Venda

South Africa

35.    Wisconsin International University College

Ghana

36.    University of the Western Cape

South Africa

37.    Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

38.    University of Ibadan

Nigeria

39.    University of Benin

 Nigeria

40.    Ambrose Alli University

Nigeria

41.    Adekunle University Akungba Akoko, Ondo State

Nigeria

42.    Nnamdi Azikiwe University

Nigeria

43.    Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University

Zimbabwe

44.    Dire Dawa University

Ethiopia

45.    Ebonyi State University

Nigeria

46.    University of Gondar

 Ethiopia

47.    Imatt College

Sierra Leone

 

French-speaking teams

Université

Pays

1.         Université Numérique Cheik Hamidou Kane

Sénégal

2.         Université Catholique de Bukavu

RD Congo

3.         Centre Universitaire de Banfora

Burkina Faso

4.         Université Thomas Sankara

Burkina Faso

5.         Institut Universitaire d’Abidjan

Côte d’Ivoire

6.         Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly de Korhogo

Côte d’Ivoire

7.         Université Officielle de Bukavu

RD Congo

8.         Institut Supérieur de Droit International et des Droits de l'Homme

Burkina Faso

9.         Institut International Polytechnique des Élites d'Abidjan

Côte d’Ivoire

10.    Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny d'Abidjan-Cocody

Côte d’Ivoire

11.    Swiss Umef University of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Portuguese-speaking teams

Universidade

País

1.         Universidade Eduardo Mondlane

Moçambique

2.         Instituto Superior De Ciências E Tecnologias De Moçambique (ISCTEM)

Moçambique

 

Oral presentation ranking

English-speaking teams

University

Country

1.         University of Cape Town

South Africa

2.         Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Ghana

3.         University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa

4.         Kenyatta University

Kenya

5.         Makerere University

Uganda

6.         University of Nairobi

Kenya

7.         University of Cape Coast

Ghana

8.         University of Lusaka

Zambia

9.         University of Ghana

Ghana

10.    University of Fort Hare

South Africa

11.    University of Lagos

Nigeria

12.    Nelson Mandela University

South Africa

13.    Stellenbosch University

South Africa

14.    Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

15.    University of Pretoria

South Africa

16.    University of Ilorin

Nigeria

17.    Rhodes University

South Africa

18.    University of Botswana

Botswana

19.    University of Johannesburg

South Africa

20.    University of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

21.    University of South Africa

South Africa

22.    Kabarak University

Kenya

23.    Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration

Ghana

24.    Obafemi Awolowo University

Nigeria

25.    Nnamdi Azikiwe University

Nigeria

26.    University of the Western Cape

South Africa

27.    Midlands State University

Zimbabwe

28.    Ambrose Alli University

Nigeria

29.    Ebonyi State University

Nigeria

30.    University of the Free State

South Africa

31.    Bayero University Kano

Nigeria

32.    Dire Dawa University

Ethiopia

33.    Wisconsin International University College

Ghana

34.    University of Venda

South Africa

35.    Haramaya University

Ethiopia

French-speaking teams

Université

Pays

1.         Université Thomas Sankara

Burkina Faso

2.         Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny d'Abidjan-Cocody

Côte d’Ivoire

3.         Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly de Korhogo

Côte d’Ivoire

4.         Université Catholique de Bukavu

RD Congo

5.         Institut Supérieur de Droit International et des Droits de l'Homme

Burkina Faso

6.         Centre Universitaire de Banfora

Burkina Faso

7.         Institut International Polytechnique des Elites d'Abidjan

Côte d’Ivoire

8.         Institut Universitaire d’Abidjan

Côte d’Ivoire

9.         Swiss Umef University of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Portuguese-speaking teams

Universidade

País

1.         Universidade Eduardo Mondlane

Moçambique

2.         Instituto Superior De Ciências E Tecnologias De Moçambique (ISCTEM)

Moçambique

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