At around 8am, the participants and faculty representatives arrived at the TuksSport High School in different shades of suits and corporate wears for the kick off of the preliminary rounds of the competition. The participants were ready to appear as legal counsels before hypothetical judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights who were in fact the faculty representatives and lecturers from the participating universities.
Preliminary rounds were divided into two - morning and afternoon sessions. Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone participants argued separately and they were judged based on their knowledge of the facts, application of law – particularly African human rights law, articulation, analysis, persuasiveness, ability to respond to questions and oratory skills. No faculty representative could sit as a judge in the session where his or her students were mooting.
With the look of victory on their faces, the participants departed for dinner at the Holiday Inn. It was a challenging but rewarding day.