UKZN Reaches Moot Court Semi-Finals

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Represented by final-year students, the School of Law made it to the semi-finals of the annual Moot Competition hosted by the Centre for Child Law at the University of Pretoria. Students from 14 universities presented arguments relating to children’s rights.

UKZN’s Mr Hemal Heeralal and Ms Raeesah Bester engaged in a lively semi-final debate with students from the University of Cape Town after multiple rounds with different institutions. They participated in the School’s final-year moot programme that is an integral part of developing well-rounded Law graduates with the knowledge, skills and networks required to build meaningful, agile careers.

Lecturer, Dr Khulekani Khumalo, said, ‘They were part of a small group of students that stood out in our fourth-year Professional Training 2 (Moot) module.’

He added that Heeralal impressed the judges in the third round with the University of the Witwatersrand, which enabled them to proceed to the semi-finals.

‘At this stage, the journey ended for team UKZN. We achieved third place, with Heeralal receiving the best speaker award,’ said Khumalo.

Heeralal said that participating in the competition exposed them to many legal professionals, including judges, attorneys and advocates who are specialists in their field.

‘It was an honour to be selected to represent UKZN at this prestigious event. Not only did I have the opportunity to learn new skills and gain further insights, but it also improved my understanding of child law,’ said Heeralal.

Bester commented that the competition offered a wealth of learning opportunities, not only in terms of the judges’ insightful feedback, but also the diverse approaches and strategies employed by fellow participants.

‘Beyond refining my legal research skills, it enabled me to build lasting connections with a wide array of individuals, further enhancing my personal and professional growth,’ said Bester.

Words: Samukelisiwe Cele

Photograph: Supplied