IUIU Female Campus clinches 13th National Inter-University Moot Court Competition

Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Female Campus, has emerged victorious in the 13th National Inter-University Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition. The two-day contest saw IUIU’s law students besting participants from 17 other universities in Kampala.

Uganda Pentecostal University (UPU) secured the runner-up position. The competition, organized by the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), centered on the theme “Reproductive and Gender Justice in Uganda: Navigating Constitutional Rights, Public Interest and Social Values.”

According to CEHURD executive director Fatia Kiyange, the moot was designed to offer law students a platform to deeply analyze reproductive and gender justice issues within the broader context of social justice and public health. Participants engaged with a hypothetical legal problem concerning the fictional state of Ngetta’s alleged failure to provide essential reproductive health services and enact adequate legal frameworks for young women and girls.

During the competition’s conclusion, retired Court of Appeal Justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, Inspector General of Government Aisha Naluzze Batala, Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, and Court of Appeal Justices Geoffrey Kiryabwire and Eva Luswata presided over the final session. The judges offered valuable insights to the students on effective courtroom advocacy, emphasizing the importance of concise arguments and focusing on key points within the allotted time.

Justice Kiryabwire likened legal arguments to a football match, advising students to score their most critical points within the 20-minute window. He also cautioned against overly emotional arguments and presenting submissions like academic papers, stressing the need to ground arguments in law and decided cases. Justice Luswata encouraged paraphrasing facts and delivering short, precise sentences. The IGG commended the participants for their grasp of the complex legal scenarios presented.

The winning team and the best oralist will receive a year-long internship opportunity at CEHURD as part of their prize.