Islamabad - Ten teams from top law schools throughout Pakistan competed in the US-funded Jessup law moot court competition-Pakistan held here, the US embassy said in a statement on Sunday.
The three-day event was sponsored by the US Embassy’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training.
Former chief justice of Pakistan Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani was the chief judge for the final held on Sunday. Both the winner and runner-up of the national competition will travel to Washington to compete in the international rounds April 9th – 15.
Addressing the participants, Justice (Retd) Jillani said: “We must do our part to make the world into a global village, to connect the people, to empathise, to reach out.” In closing, he reminded the students: “Some of you may want to become lawyers, some may become judges, and some may join politics. You may pursue your goals differently, but there is one thing you share with each other and that is your calling as a citizen.”
The students of Lahore University of Management Sciences secured top position while the team of University College, Lahore remained runner-up in the contest.
, the competition’s law students hailed from Indus College of Law, Hyderabad; International Islamic University Islamabad; University of Karachi-School of Law; Lahore; Quaid-e-Azam Law College, Lahore; Institute of Law and Criminology, Islamabad; University of Malakand; Institute of Law, University of Sindh Jamshoro and Pakistan college of Law, Lahore.
The 2016-2017 season marks the 58th year of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Jessup is the world’s largest moot court competition, with participants from over 550 law schools in more than 87 countries.
The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations. Last year was the first time that a team from Pakistan participated in the competition. They were awarded “Best New Team” in the international round.
In addition to support from INL and OPDAT, members of the Pakistan-US Alumni Network helped to plan and organise the competition. Pakistan has one of the largest US-alumni communities in the world, with more than 22,000 students and professionals who have participated in US government-sponsored exchange programs.
