Ref: 64/2012

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) will organize on Saturday and Sunday 14 and 15 July 2012 the activities of the International Criminal Law Moot Court Competition, concluding the first International Criminal Law Moot Court Competition in the Gaza Strip.

Besides inauguration, the first day will include three rounds during which the competing student groups (3 groups comprised of 10 students each) will play the roles of defense and prosecution in a fictional case simulating cases brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC).  During these rounds, student groups will also make oral and written submissions before a jury. In these submissions, student groups will use articles from the international criminal law and the international humanitarian law to support their arguments presented to the court.  Students will compete against one another through the presentation of their legal arguments in the context of a hypothetical criminal case dispute between the parties.

The final round of pleadings, the closing ceremony and distribution of certificates to the participating students will be on the second day.

Today, 12 July 2012, a number of Arab high profile judges and lawyers are arriving in the Gaza Strip to form the jury of the moot court during the competition.

PCHR inaugurated the moot court project on 14 February 2012 with support from UNDP and supervision of OHCHR.

The project has been implemented in cooperation with 3 Palestinian universities: al-Azhar University, Islamic University and the University of Palestine. Ten students were selected from each university (30 students in total) to benefit from the project. Over the preparation period between January and July 2012, local and international legal experts provided training to students on international humanitarian law and international criminal law.

The project aims at giving the chance to university students in law faculties in the Gaza Strip to increase their knowledge in the area of international humanitarian law and international criminal law, especially ICC and ICC Statute. It also aims at enhancing the legal education system in local academic institutions and increasing students' ability to apply the principles of the law and practically work on cases.

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