Herat students attend moot-court contest

WASHINGTON (PAN proud as they participated in the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and gave a tough fight to their rivals.

Though they could not proceed beyond the preliminary round of the competition, in which some 600 law schools from more than 80 countries participated, yet the Herat students left a positive impression on legal luminaries.

Prof Mohammad Faridon Sorush, the Afghan team coach, said: “They did a great job. As a coach, I am really satisfied with their performance in this international competition.”

The Afghans were pitted against students of the Denver University — one of the top legal academic institutions of the world. “This was the best part of the competition. The ease at which my students competed made me proud. At no point of time English did come as a hindrance to them,” Sorush told Pajhwok Afghan News.   

Sorush is a professor at the Law and Political Sciences Faculty of Herat University. The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice. The teams prepare oral and written pleadings, showcasing their advocacy skills.

“It was a great experience attending this international competition,” one Afghan contestant Farhad Ahmed said, noting the participation had given him an insight into legal practices at the international level and what the Afghan legal system can adopt from that.

Fereshta Abbasi, the only female member of the Afghan team, said she had learnt about the cultures of other countries. “It was a new experience for me. Here we learnt how to research,” she said, calling lack of resources one of the major disadvantages for her country.

Sponsored by the USAID, the Herat University team was selected following an intensive national competition, winning successive rounds against students from Herat, Balkh, Al Beroni, Kandahar, Khost, Panjsher, Takhar and Nangarhar.

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