Two Grade 11 learners from Springfield Convent in the Western Cape Province, Ms Claire Rankin and her classmate, Ms Clara Marie Macheke, were announced as the winners of the 2015 National Schools Moot Court competition. This was after a hard-hitting debate on intricate constitutional matters around sexual orientation. The hypothetical problem statement was aimed at educating learners and raising awareness on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender and Intersex rights (LGBTI). The two teams had an opportunity to present their case before a panel of Constitutional Court judges, including amongst others, Justice Johann van der Westhuizen, Justice Elias Matojane, Adv Mohamed Shafie Ameermia and Prof Christopher Heyns.
The preliminary rounds, quarter-finals and semi-finals took place at the University of Pretoria from 08 to 09 October 2015. In his official opening of the occasion on 08 October 2015, the Deputy Minister for Basic Education, Mr Enver Surly, reflected on the 2015 problem statement which focused on sexual orientation. Deputy Minister Surty accentuated the importance of educating learners and schools on LGBTI rights and highlighted the need to intervene and eliminate the stigma and homophobic violence that these communities are subjected to on a daily basis. The competition plays a pivotal role in providing learners with insightful knowledge on human rights issues and the Constitution in order to become accountable and responsible future citizens.
Since its inception in 2011, the National Schools Moot competition has managed to explore various sections of the Bill of Rights such as equality, freedom of expression and human dignity. It is important that young people are provided with opportunities to engage in the simulation of legal processes that impact on the Constitution and related human right issues.
In its fifth year, the competition culminated at the Constitutional Court on 11 October 2015. The Deputy Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr John Jeffery, said during his official opening of the final session: “Competitions such as the Schools Moot Court continue to promote the Constitution amongst learners.” Mr Jeffrey thanked the DBE and other partners for prioritising this competition on the annual school calendar and encouraged the organisers to keep up their good work.
