UCU wins this year’s inter-university moot court competitions

UCU winning students; Mr Paul Kalondo, Mr Joseph Okia, Ms Isabel Twongyeirwe display their accolades won after beating Makerere University to become this year’s moot court champions. PHOTO BY ANTHONY WESAKA

What you need to know:

  • The inter-university moot court competitions were first launched in 2014 by civil society organization, Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), with UCU winning the first competition.
  • Kampala International University (KIU) was the winner of last year’s competitions.

MUKONO. Uganda Christian University (UCU) over the weekend won this year’s inter-university moot court competitions, beating six other universities that took part.
UCU beat Makerere University in the highly competitive finals to become this year’s champions.

This was the second time that the Mukono-based Christian university wins this moot court competition within three years since its inception in 2014.
Other universities which took part in the competition are; Kampala International University, Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU)- both Mbale and Kampala campuses, and Bishop Stuart University-Mbarara.
A moot court is a law school activity and competition during which students participate in the preparation and arguing of cases in front of judges.

The main objective of the moot court competition is to inspire students to train in legal writing, arguing of cases in courts of law, professional conduct, citation of authorities and their demeanor while arguing cases in preparation of court proceedings.
One of the competitors, Paul Kalondo, a fourth year student, attributed the success to God.
“It has been a long journey but God has helped us to achieve this,” Mr Kalondo said in excitement shortly after his university was announced the winner.
The other students on the UCU team included Ms Isabel Twongyeirwe and Mr Joseph Okia.

The inter-university moot court competitions were first launched in 2014 by civil society organization, Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), with UCU winning the first competition. Kampala International University (KIU) was the winner of last year’s competitions.
This year’s moot court was designed to expose law students to the litigation on aspects relating to access to health services and commodities in context of the right to health, obligation of the state to proactively provide information on health within the frame work of the constitution.

Makerere University students Taremwa Kasiime Mukama who was voted as the best oralist in the competition, Jordan Tumwesigye and Hazel Birungi, argued as appellants while UCU students aforementioned, argued as the respondents before the "Supreme Court".
Renowned Constitutional lawyer Peter Walubiri who was the lead judge said the submissions in the final round by Makerere and UCU students was good that they found difficulty as judges in picking the overall winner.

“The performance in the final round was very good and we were finding difficulty in giving marks on who is better than the other...” said Mr Walubiri.
Mr Walubiri also commended the finalists for having kept time while making their submissions saying time is of importance while arguing a case in courts of law and that they should keep up that spirit.
Prof Anthony Kakooza, the dean, law faculty UCU said the moot court competitions help law students become better lawyers and stand out in the law field which according to him , is becoming more crowded.