St. John Baptist De La Salle Catholic School participated in the 6th Ethiopian Human Rights Commission Moot Court Competition held in Addis Ababa. Throughout all stages of the competition the students were guided and supported by their Teacher Dawit Gebre whose assistance played an important role in the team’s preparation and performance.

The first round was conducted at Menen Secondary School where students Blen Jenbere and Kidus Teshome represented St.John Baptist De La Salle Catholic School on a case concerning forced eviction. The session began at 8:30 in the morning and concluded at 2:00 in the afternoon. The team performed well and successfully advanced to the next stage of the competition.

The next phase was an orientation session held at the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission headquarters near Meskel Square. This session also started at 8:30 in the morning and ended at 2:00 in the afternoon with a short tea break. During this stage Blen Jenbere and Fenet Ararsa represented the school. The orientation introduced the topic of education and conflict and provided useful guidance on legal research case preparation and presentation skills.

Following the orientation the students continued their preparation at school under the supervision of their teachers. This included practicing oral arguments, drafting written submissions and participating in an internal moot court exercise to strengthen their confidence and readiness for the final round.

The regional final round was held on March 28. The team arrived at 8:30 in the morning and waited for their turn as other teams completed their sessions. Team numbers were assigned upon arrival and St. John Baptist De La Salle Catholic School was designated as Team 8. During the round the team first represented the Respondent and later the Applicant presenting arguments from both perspectives.

At the conclusion of the competition the results were announced and St. John Baptist De La Salle Cathoilc School ranked second receiving a certificate of recognition for their performance. Overall the competition was a valuable experience that helped the students develop their legal understanding critical thinking and advocacy skills.

Submitted by: aaron@stjohn.edu.et | Collaborators: Dawit Gebre via CMS