UCU outshines Makerere in National Jessup Moot Court face off

Yesterday, 29th February, 2020, UCU beat Makerere University at the finals of the national rounds for the Phillip Jessup Moot Competition that were held at Cavendish University.

Winning Team: Uganda Christian University will represent the country in the International Round to be held in Washington DC./Photographer: Greezie Josh

Moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools. Participants take part in simulated court or arbitration proceedings, usually involving drafting memorials or memoranda and participating in oral argument.

Some competitions are national, regional, continental or international. The Jessup competition is an international competition but only one university represents the country.

This in turn means that national rounds for the competition are necessary to determine the university that will represent the country in the international rounds.

The international rounds are held in Washington DC and see over 300 universities around the world pitted against each other to get the winner.

UCU beat Makerere University at the highly contested finals to claim the slot to represent the Country at the international rounds.

Ms Khanani Daniella of UCU submitting before the Judges. /Photographer: Greezie Josh

The ecstatic UCU students couldn’t keep the happiness to themselves and one revealed to our reporter that she was happy that this year, it was UCU to represent the country.

The competition saw four universities battle each other that is, the hosts(Cavendish University), Makerere Univeristy, Uganda Christian University and Islamic University in Uganda.

After the preliminary rounds, the teams that had made it to the finals were announced and shortly after the competition began – here Makerere were the Applicants in the hypothetical case well as UCU were the respondent.

What was was to be showcased was an appreciation of the law and English Language.  Everyone in the house will agree that both teams were indeed learned.

In fact this is fortified by the delay by the judges to announce the winners.

“It was a very spirited contest”, Dr. Busingye Sylivia said.

Dr Busingye who presided over the compeititon revealed how she was aww struck by the grasp of the law by the students and how mesmerized she was by the very learned minds of particulary women speakers.

Ms Ruth Muhawe of Makerere University emerged the Best Oralist./Photographer: Greezie Josh

But as it would be, hard as it was, the winner had to be announced and UCU, the respondents, were the national champions.

At the same event, Ruth Muhawe from Makerere University School of Law Managed to be the best overall oralist in the competition.