Students from CARICOM law institutions will compete in the 6th Annual Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) International Law Moot 2014, scheduled to take place on Friday 14 March 2014 at the CCJ Headquarters in Port of Spain.
Established in 2009, the moot serves a two-fold purpose. Firstly it helps to hone the research and advocacy skills of participants, preparing them to function in a real court setting. Secondly, it further exposes law students of the region to the principles of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Such exposure is necessary as Court President the Right Honourable Sir Dennis Byron remarked at the opening of the moot in 2013 “The revised treaty is the linchpin of the community and at the core of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. The greater the familiarity with the revised treaty, the higher the potential for marshalling the CSME towards successful reality.”
This year’s competition surrounds the issue of the interpretation of a section of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas focusing on the right to freedom of movement of economic citizens throughout the region and the right of University graduates without a skilled national certificate to seek employment in a CARICOM state.
Six teams from CARICOM law institutions are set to vie for the CCJ Challenge Shield which was won by the Hugh Wooding Law School last year. Apart from the students filling the roles of advocates in the courtroom, first-year students of the Faculty of Law (UWI, St. Augustine campus) will form the Moot Registry, assuming the roles of: Registrar; Deputy Registrar; Court Support Officer; Marshal; Timekeeper; and Usher.
This year’s moot is expected to be attended by Ministers of Government and other administration officials; representatives of Superior Courts of Record; the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, representatives of the private sector, labour community, law school and secondary school students.
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