Haramaya University’s College of Law took the fourth rank in the second Africa Regional Foreign Direct Investment Moot Court Competition held in Nairobi. The competition was held on September 1^st and 2^nd.

The HU team consisted of law students Amenti Abera, Menen Bezabeh, Asegidew Tsega, Barkiligne Berhanu and Coach Daniel Esubalew. They faced teams from different African law schools and showed up an outstanding performance. Additionally, two  advocates  of the  team Menen Bezabih and Barkiligne Berhanu,  have  made  it  into  the  Top 10 Advocates  of  the  Regional round.

Mr Daniel said the team has performed profoundly both in research, memorial, and oral advocacy though the result was not as expected. The competition has contributed a lot for research and oral advocacy capacity of the students to enhance their self-esteem.

A moot court competition imitates proceedings followed in real courts, simulating a real court environment where participants will have to adhere to court decorum and procedure. It is a legal debate between two teams that will be evaluated by legal practitioners. Particularly Foreign Direct Investment moot court is crucial for developing countries like Ethiopia due to the increasing international investment, the proliferation of international investment treaties, domestic legislation, and international investment contracts which would contribute to the development of a new field of international law that defines obligations between host states and foreign investors and refers to internationalised procedures (e.g. ICSID) for resolving related disputes. These disputes involve not only vast sums, but also panoply of rights, duties, and shifting objectives at the juncture of national and international law and policy. The FDI Moot helps future lawyers attain a practical understanding of these issues. The case and hearings offer  a  unique  forum  for  academics  and  practitioners  from  around  the  world  to discuss developments and assess emerging talents.

The Coach also said the team members are grateful for the continuous follow-up of the College, the Dean of the College and the University administration. “They have consistently encouraged students to take part in extra-curricular activities such as moots,” he added.

The moot court was organised by the Africa Nazarene University. The co-founders of the FDI Moot are the Centre for International Legal Studies (CILS), Kings’ College London (KCL), Pepperdine University School of Law (PUSL), Suffolk University Law School (SULS), and the German Institution for Arbitration (DIS).