UWC law students claim national title, set for Washington DC showdown

The University of the Western Cape’s Moot Court Society has secured the South African title at the prestigious 2026 Philip C Jessup International Moot Court Competition, earning the right to represent the country at the global finals in Washington DC.

Sweeping victory with multiple awards

The UWC team emerged victorious on 1 March, claiming not only the national championship but also sweeping several individual honours, including best memorial, best respondent memorial, and placing two team members among the top five speakers.

World’s largest moot court competition

The Jessup Competition, established in 1960, is considered the world’s largest moot court competition in public international law. What began as a small advocacy exercise at Harvard Law School has grown into a global event involving hundreds of universities from more than 100 countries.

Named after Philip C Jessup, a former judge of the International Court of Justice, the competition simulates legal disputes between fictional states. Teams spend months researching and preparing written submissions before presenting oral arguments on complex international law issues to panels of judges.

The winning team

This year’s winning UWC team consisted of oralists Kelebogile Mashiane and Reabetswe Matsimela, supported by researchers Khanyisile Mnisi and Mpho Masike.

While the oralists presented arguments during competition rounds, the researchers provided crucial support through extensive legal research and assistance with written memorials.

Expert coaching and support

The team was coached by several faculty members including Dr Precious Ndlovu, who chairs the moot committee, along with Prof Usang Assim, Dr Linda Mushoriwa and Prof Wessel le Roux.

The competition provides law students with valuable practical experience, developing skills in legal research, writing, oral advocacy and teamwork that extend beyond the classroom.

Next stop: Washington DC

As national champions, the UWC team will now join teams from across the world at the international rounds in Washington DC, where they’ll compete against the best law students globally.

The Faculty of Law at UWC has congratulated the students and coaches on their achievement as they prepare for the international stage of the competition.