College of Law Team Leaves to the U.S. to Participate in Moot Court Competition

By College of Law

A team, which consists of four College of Law students and a coach, has left to the U.S. on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 to participate in the 2014-2015 Susan J. Ferrell Intercultural Human Rights Moot Court Competition.

The competition is expected to be held from January 30 up to February 1, 2015 at St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The delegation from College of Law consists of Firew Tadesse, coach of the team and assistant lecturer at the College, as well as 5^th year students namely Mahlet Getachew, Robel Yeshitla, Girum Seid and Henok Gereziher.

Haramaya University is the only institution not only from Ethiopia but also from Africa to partake in the highly anticipated competition which is organized by St. Thomas University in the U.S. The other participating institutions are Duke University (U.S.), University of Siena (Italy), University of Nevada (U.S.), Hidayatullah National Law University (India), Florida International University (U.S.), Howard University (U.S.), and Valparaiso University (U.S.).

College of Law from Haramaya University is not new for the Susan J. Ferrell Intercultural Human Rights Moot Court Competition. In 2013, another team from the College had successfully participated in the event representing, as usual, not only Ethiopia but the whole of Africa.

The shortlisted universities, which represent four continents, are part of the final oral rounds of the competition based on their written memorial before the International Court of Justice.

According to the information obtained from the event organizers, there will be four preliminary rounds on Saturday which will be pivotal in determining the two teams advancing to the final rounds which will be held on Sunday morning.

This year’s fact pattern is titled “The Eastern Plains Case (Astavia V.Restrepia)” and deals, among others, with issues regarding self-determination, aggression, religiously motivated violence, and women’s rights.

The four HU College of Law students, with the relentless support of their coach, have made a lengthy preparation to be competent team in the Moot Court Competition.

Dr. Richard Wentzell, dean of College of Law, has expressed his thanks for all the staff and students for volunteering their time and energy.