Promoting Rule of Law in Georgia with the help of Moot Court competitions

In a society characterised by inclusion, diversity, justice, unity, and non-discrimination, EU values are shared by all EU countries. One of the main values on which the EU is based is the Rule of Law. This is the unique principle that all democratic countries should share. Having Moot Court competitions in countries is one of the best ways to foster the implementation and promotion of the Rule of Law.

One of the most successful Moot to be known to promote the Rule of Law in Georgia is called the EU law moot court. It is co-organized by the EU Law Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Justice and the Georgian Justice Training Center with the help of GIZ and Sakpatenti. The event’s focus is European Union Intellectual Property Law. It invites Law Faculty students to improve and deepen their understanding of the EU law and the principles upon which it is established. It has become a tradition to hold this particular moot annually. The project’s main goal is to raise students’ awareness regarding the EU Court of Justice’s work and the Association Agreement between Georgia and the EU. Furthermore, it aims to develop and sharpen students’ material-legal and procedural skills. 

The EU Law Moot Court is divided into several rounds. First of all, students must fill the application form to register. They should demonstrate enthusiasm and a desire to engage in moot court as well as acquire and improve skills crucial for attorneys.

Then, the second round is about presenting written legal memorandums. That is one of the most difficult aspects of the moot court. Students have to conduct research on a certain case. Typically, the presented scenario has intricate challenges that are difficult to resolve. Even though this is difficult for the participants, it enables them to nourish their writing and research abilities. Furthermore, they do a legal study of EU legislation, which undoubtedly aids them in better understanding of the Rule of Law, and therefore the core and fundamental principles upon which the EU is founded. This moot court assists them unquestionably in gaining a deeper understanding of EU legislation during their studies. 

Finally, the third round takes the form of oral rounds. Competing in moot court competitions allows students to hone their advocacy skills, improve their public speaking abilities, and actively participate in legal interpretation of the European Union law. The skills are beneficial not only for future trial attorneys. The lesson to be learned is that every argument does indeed have two sides, and thus can be backed up with equal conviction. 

Last year’s winning team member Ms Elizabet Kakabadze has given us some comments regarding her experience in the EU Law Moot Court. 

“One of the most satisfying parts about the moot was that it was an ongoing experience, our team members were improving in every round. Also, the organisers arranged training sessions for participants, and they invited qualified lecturers, which definitely helped us gain deeper knowledge and a better understanding of EU law. This moot court didn’t require any special prerequisite, for instance, the background knowledge of EU law. This truly showed organisers’ desire and intent to raise awareness about EU law positively. I am really grateful that I had the chance to participate in this competition. It definitely helped me to widen my vision of EU legislation and the Rule of Law.” 

The organiser – EU Law Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Justice also provided some comments regarding the moot court.

“The moot court of 2021 exceeded our expectations, as the number of registered university teams increased, as well as the level of preparation of participants in the written and oral stages of the competition. The teams demonstrated a high level of knowledge of the problematic issues raised in the moot court and their possible resolution, indicating to us that students’ interest in EU law is growing every year.”

Also, the organisers mentioned the difficulties they had to overcome: 

“Given the pandemic situation in the world, the EU Law Moot Court in 2021 was conducted remotely, using the online platform, which was initially a challenge for us. However, in the end, the format change did not cause significant difficulties and the event was held without interruption and the participants gained and nourished many important skills.”

This clearly demonstrates the function of moot courts in broadening and transmitting knowledge about the Rule of Law. It would be beneficial if Georgia’s experience in holding EU Law Moot Court Competitions is shared by other EaP countries as well.