Unique Opportunity for Education in Human Rights

On 23–25 April Civil Rights Defenders will arrange the fourth moot court competition in Rijeka, Croatia. The involvement of Law schools from five countries, professors, highly experienced judges from the region, makes the Moot Court competition a unique opportunity for education.

Ten clubs from Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia will participate. Two judges from the European Court in Strasbourg will along with higher judges from the Balkan region be in the jury of the competition. Percy Bratt, lawyer and Chair of the Board of Civil Rights Defenders, Elisabeth Jonsson, lawyer and Goran Miletic, Human Rights lawyer at Civil Rights Defenders will also take part in the Moot court competition.

The moot court competition gives the participating students increased practical knowledge on cases, rules and procedures of the European Court on Human Rights. As a result of the annual moot court competition the Union Law School in Belgrade has introduced a course on the procedures of the European Court of Human Rights in the curriculum. Another example of the effect of the competition is that very skilled students that have taken part in the competition have later been offered employment within one of the country delegations at the European Court of Human Rights.

The first Moot Court competition was organised in April 2007, followed by the second and third in 2008 and 2009. The first two were organised in Belgrade, Serbia, whereas the third competition was organised in Kotor, Montenegro. About 70 students have taken part in the moot court every year, which means that up till now we have trained around 210 students.