USAID/Internews
U.S. Ambassador Hans Klemm, Coordinating Director Rule of Law and Law Enforcement, Jed Barton, USAID Deputy Mission Director, and Deen Mohammad Mobarez Rashidi, Deputy Mission Director of the Ministry of Information and Culture hand out awards to participants.
Law students from across Afghanistan passionately argued legal positions yesterday at the first annual United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Media Law Moot Court Competition held at the Kabul Appeals Court. As Afghanistan’s lawyers and the media strive toward the development and adherence to international practice and standards of media law, this event provided the first platform for the next generation of Afghan lawyers to explore the application of media laws and regulations within a simulated court setting.
Arguing their cases in Pashto and Dari, teams from the Alberony, Balkh, HIrat, Kabul, and Nangarhar universities constructed persuasive arguments for a fictitious case. Mohammad Musa Enayat, a Kabul University law student who received the overall best individual oralist award, stated, “When I heard about the moot court, I was hesitant to participate. But, the program gave me confidence that, when I finish my studies, I can be a good lawyer and deal with any case in the future.”
Teams participating in a moot court analyze a legal problem and conduct extensive research on the relevant laws, culminating in written submissions and the presentation of oral arguments during the competition. Moot court competitions allow participants to gain and develop practical legal skills,
The Hirat University team pose for a photo with Dean Mohammad Mobarez Rashidi, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Information and Culture (left), USAID Deputy Mission Director Jed Barton, and U.S. Ambassador Hans Klemm, US Embassy Coordinating Director Rule of Law and Law Enforcement (center).
increase their analytic aptitude, build their confidence in public speaking, and interact with academic staff and judges in an environment that is both rewarding and enjoyable.
Speaking at the close of the event, the U.S. Ambassador Hans Klemm, Coordinating Director for Rule of Law and Law Enforcement, said, “Journalists in Afghanistan serve as the voice of, and for, the people, while sharing stories of individuals and groups, often at risk of oppression, persecution, and even death.” Klemm welcomed the moot court as a means to enhance media law protection in Afghanistan while highlighting the line between media and democracy.
Deputy Minister of Ministry of Information and Culture Dean Mohammad Mobarez Rashidi and USAID Deputy Mission Director Jed Barton, along with a crowd of spectators, witnessed a fierce competition, won by the team from Kabul University.
In coordination with Nai Supporting Afghanistan Open Media and Internews, the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania implemented the project, as part of a USAID funded initiative established to support the growth of an independent, robust and energetic media sector in Afghanistan.
2011.09.22 Press Release Media Law Moot Court