# African Human Rights Moot Court Competition

   One could hardly think of a better way to advance the cause of human rights than to bring together students - who are the leaders, judges and teachers of tomorrow - from different countries, with chief justices and professors, to debate some of the crucial issues of our time in the exciting and challenging atmosphere of a courtroom, where they can test their arguments and skills against one another in a spirit of fierce but friendly competition.
The African Human Rights Moot Court Competition is an international moot court competition with a special focus on human rights in Africa. The competition is organised by the Centre for Human Rights, based at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law in South Africa. Each year, the competition is hosted by a Law Faculty from a different African country. Since its inception in 1992, the competition has had 845 participant teams originating from 125 universities from 45 African countries.
The competition is tri-lingual and preliminary rounds are argued in English, French and Portuguese. Students argue a hypothetical human rights case and base their arguments on the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The final round is argued by two teams made up of the best three Anglophone teams, two Francophone teams and one Lusophone team. The final round is judged by prominent African and international jurists.

## Recognition

The African Human Rights Moot Court has been described as the largest gathering of law students and lecturers on the African continent. The Centre for Human Rights was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education in 2006 and the African Human Rights Moot Court received a special mention as it is one of the flagship programmes of the Centre.

## Historical overview

| Year | Location | Winner | Runner-up |
| 1992 | Harare, Zimbabwe | University of Pretoria (South Africa) | University of Natal (South Africa) |
| 1993 | Lusaka, Zambia | University of Witwatersrand (South Africa) | University of Natal (South Africa) |
| 1994 | Kwaluseni, Swaziland | University of Natal (South Africa) | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| 1995 | Pretoria, South Africa | Rand Afrikaans University (South Africa) Makerere University (Uganda) | University of Pretoria (South Africa) University of Ghana (Ghana) |
| 1996 | Oujda, Morocco | University of Pretoria (South Africa) University of Nairobi (Kenya) Université Hassan II, Casablanca (Marocco) | University of Port Elizabeth (South Africa) University of Ghana (Ghana) Université de Côte d'Ivoire (Côte d'Ivoire) |
| 1997 | Kampala, Uganda | University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) Makerere University (Uganda) | University of Pretoria (South Africa) Université du Bénin (Togo) |
| 1998 | Maputo, Mozambique | Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique) University of Botswana (Botswana) | University of Cape Town (South Africa) Université du Bénin (Togo) |
| 1999 | Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire | Université de Cocody (Côte D'Ivoire) University of Nairobi (Kenya) | University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) Université de la Réunion (Togo) |
| 2000 | Accra, Ghana | Université Catholique d'Afrique Centrale (Cameroon) University of Ghana (Ghana) | University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) Université du Caire (Egypt) |
| 2001 | Pretoria, South Africa | Université Tunis III (Tunisia) Makerere University (Uganda) | University of Pretoria (South Africa) Université Bouake (Togo) |
| 2002 | Cairo, Egypt from | University of Nairobi (Kenya) Universite de la Reunion (Reunion) | University of Pretoria (South Africa) Universite Mohamed (Morocco) |
| 2003 | Yaounde, Cameroon | University of Cocody (Côte D'Ivoire) University of Natal (South Africa) | University of Nairobi (Kenya) University of Dschang(Cameroon) |
| 2004 | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Université Abomey Calavi (Bénin) University of Pretoria (South Africa) | Université Marien Ngouabi (Congo) University of Nairobi(Kenya) |
| 2005 | Johannesburg, South Africa | University of Cocody (Côte D'Ivoire) University of Cape Town (South Africa) | American University of Cairo (Egypt) Université Mohammed Ier(Morocco) |
| 2006 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Gaston Berger University (Senegal) University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) | University of Malawi (Malawi) Université du Caire(Egypt) |
| 2007 | Dakar, Senegal | University of the Free State (South Africa) Université Libre de Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) | University of Ilorin (Nigeria) Université Catholique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest(Côte d'Ivoire) |
| 2008 | Pretoria, South Africa | University of Pretoria (South Africa) University of Ghana (Côte D'Ivoire) Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique) | Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis (Senegal) Université Mohammed Premier(Morocco) University of Lagos(Nigeria) |
| 2009 | Lagos, Nigeria | University of Ghana (Ghana) Université de Dschang (Cameroun) Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique) | University of Cape Town (South Africa) Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis (Senegal) Universidade Zambeze (Mozambique) |
| 2010 | Cotonou, Benin | Université de Cocody (Cote D'Ivoire) University of Namibia (Namibia) Rhodes University (South Africa) | Universite d'Abomey-Calavi (Benin) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana) University of Lagos (Nigeria) |
| 2011 | Pretoria, South Africa | University of Pretoria (South Africa) Université de Cocody (Cote D'Ivoire) Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique) | University of Cape Town (South Africa) Universite Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis Agostinho Neto University |