Ref:
39/2015
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) opened today morning, 27 July 2015, the activities of the first day of the International Criminal Law Moot Court Competition in presence of lawyers, academics, journalists and interested persons
Dr. Riyadh al-Za’noun, Chairman of PCHR’s Board of Directors, delivered a speech welcoming the attendants. He also appreciated the role of the Palestinian Bar Association and congratulated on behalf of PCHR the lawyers, who participated in the competition, for the strategic and nationalexample they showed in the context of being prepared to defend their people’s rights and prosecute the war criminals.
Lawyer Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, addressed the importance of this project in a time when Palestinian human rights organizations prepare their legal files to prosecute war criminals before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians in the Israeli offensive launched on the Gaza Strip last summer.
Sourani stressed the significance of prosecuting war criminals in spite of any challenges facing the Palestinian file to deny the Palestinian victims’ access to international justice.
The jury consisting of 3 Palestinian lawyers: Dr. Adnan al-Hajjar, Director of Studies Unit at al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, as a president of the jury; Mr. JameelSarhan, Director of the Palestinian Independent Commission of Human Rights in the Gaza Strip, as a member in the jury; and Mr. Sa’id al-Madhoun, head of human rights in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as a member as well.
The jury will consider a fictional case that tackles an armed conflict betweentwo states somewhere in this world. Thirty articled clerks registered in the Palestinian Bar Association are competing in this competition. They are divided into 3 groups, each group consists of 10 lawyers. Within each group there are 2 teams playing the roles of prosecution vs defense.
The first hearing started when 2 teams from 2 different groups presented their legal arguments. They played the roles of prosecution vs defense in the context of a fictional criminal case. The second and third hearings were likewise, during which 4 teams of competing lawyers presented their arguments.
Following the third hearing, the jury declared the 2 best prosecution and defense teams that got the highest scores according to the jury’s evaluation of the oral and written arguments of the 6 teams that are part of the 3 competing groups. These 2 winning teams will move to the final hearing in the completion.
The activities of the competition will continue tomorrow, Tuesday, 28 July 2015. The final hearing will be held, during which 2 teams representing 2 groups of competing lawyers will present their arguments and submissions by playing the roles of prosecution vs defense.
It should be noted the International Criminal Law Moot Court Competition is a project implemented by PCHR for the third time, but this year it was held in cooperation with of the Palestinian Bar Association. The 30 female and male lawyers participating in the competition received a 6-month intensive training, during which they were coached by international and local legal experts on the principles of international humanitarian law, international law and mechanisms of prosecution.
This project is considered as a chance for theoretical and practical training dependent on legal writing skills and investigation mechanisms in international crimes. It also offers prospects for the competing lawyers to enhance their skills in the field of true application ofthe law over cases, and to develop their skills and legal capabilities relevant to law.
This project is part of PCHR’s belief in the importance of creating an army of lawyers to prosecute the Israeli war criminals on the international law, especially before the ICC.
