University of Dundee celebrates emerging legal talent in Africa

The University of Dundee UK celebrated five years of Mooting in Africa this year. School students from Africa were recognized as excellent in the University of Dundee’s African Schools Mooting Competition 2024.

The University of Dundee held African Schools Mooting Competition 2024 in which over 20 schools participated from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. These students make legal submissions for and against a fictitious legal appeal. A total of 12 schools advanced to the final competition and each of these teams emerged as winner twice, once on behalf of respondent and another on behalf of appellant. This year, which marks the university's 5 years of Mooting in Africa saw a winning team from Ghana which won for the first time and broke the winning streak of Kenyan schools from 2021 - 2023.

Professor Peter McEleavy, University Academic Lead for Africa and founder of the African Mooting Programme said, “It has been so rewarding for the Dundee Africa Mooting Team to see the programme grow year on year and the pupils develop such proficiency in legal argument and mooting over the six months of training. This year it was an incredibly close fought competition with only a few points separating the top 3 teams. The programme requires enormous dedication from the pupils and their teachers but gives them a fantastic insight into the study of law and University life. The competitors who then come to study at Dundee Law School have a real head start in their legal education.”

Mr Louis Welagaamo, ATL Coordinator/Language & Literature Teacher and Patron of the Tema International School Mooting Society, Ghana, said,“If there ever was an opportunity for students to become critical in their thinking and effective in the expression of their ideas while keeping an open mind, it would be the University of Dundee African Schools Mooting Competition, and this is why we look forward to not just the competition but also the interaction prior, every year!."

“We are glad to have won it this year after coming close on too many occasions in the past. We do not know if we will be the first to defend the trophy next year or if we will make the podium at all. What we know for a fact, however, is that we will never let go of the opportunity that the competition offers towards the growth and development of students," added Mr Louis Welagaamo.

The University of Dundee offers law degrees in Scots Law (four years), English Law (three years), and a Dual Qualifying LLB combining Scots and English Law (four years).

Mooting in Africa Details

The Mooting in Africa competition was started in 2019. The program now includes six months of online training with seminars, workshops, and lectures given by the students and staff from the University of Dundee Mooting Society. The schools that participated in the competition received training before competing against other schools.

Anna Maame Yaa Borbi who completed English Law LLB from the University of Dundee this year, took part in the University of Dundee African Mooting Competitions in 2019 and 2021.

Anna said, "The Mooting competitions helped me improve my writing skills, by becoming more concise and informative. They also further developed my public speaking skills and confidence. At the time, I did not know which UK university I wanted to attend. The Mooting competitions, scholarship opportunity, and the option to study English Law were ultimately why I chose the University of Dundee. I am grateful for the experience and lessons the University of Dundee has enriched my life with. My journey from Mooting to graduation has made my school and parents proud."

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