(Left to right) Mpho Masike and Khanyisile Mnisi. Image:SuppliedThe Moot Court Society team in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) emerged as national champions at the 2026 Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition.
In addition to securing the South African title on 1 March 2026, the team also received several individual and team awards, reflecting the dedication and collaborative effort that went into their preparation.
The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, commonly known as the Jessup, is widely regarded as the world’s largest moot court competition in public international law.
Established in 1960 as a small advocacy exercise at Harvard Law School, the competition has grown into a global event involving hundreds of universities from more than 100 countries. Named after Philip C Jessup, a distinguished jurist and former judge of the International Court of Justice, the competition simulates a dispute between fictional states before the court. Participating teams prepare written submissions, known as memorials, and present oral arguments on complex issues of international law before panels of judges.
Each year, law teams from across the world dedicate months to researching, drafting and refining legal arguments for the competition. Teams first compete in national rounds, with the winning teams advancing to the international rounds, where they represent their countries on a global stage.
This year’s competition marked a particularly encouraging moment for the UWC Moot Court Society, whose team demonstrated strong research, advocacy and teamwork throughout the national rounds. Alongside the national champion title, the team received the following honours:
National Champions - South African Rounds
- Best Memorial
- Best Respondent Memorial
- 2nd Best Speaker
- 5th Best Speaker
These awards recognise both the strength of the team’s written legal arguments and the quality of their oral advocacy during the competition.
The 2026 team consisted of two oralists and two researchers who worked closely together over several months of preparation.
Oralists:
- Kelebogile Mashiane
- Reabetswe Matsimela
Researchers:
- Khanyisile Mnisi
- Mpho Masike
(From left to right) Reabetswe Motsimela and Kelebogile Mashiane. Image: SuppliedWhile the oralists presented the team’s arguments to the judges during the rounds, the researchers played an equally important role, supporting the team through extensive legal research and assisting with the preparation of the written memorials.
The team was guided and supported by several faculty members, including Dr Precious Ndlovu (Chairperson of the Moot Committee), Prof Usang Assim, Dr Linda Mushoriwa and Prof Wessel le Roux, who served as the team’s coaches. Their mentorship, together with the students’ commitment and teamwork, contributed significantly to the team’s performance in the competition.
The Faculty of Law recognises that achievements such as these are the result of collective effort. Moot court competitions provide students with an opportunity to apply their legal knowledge in practical settings while developing skills in research, legal writing, oral advocacy and collaboration.
As national champions, the team will now have the opportunity to represent South Africa in the international rounds of the Jessup competition, where they will join teams from across the world in Washington, DC. The Faculty of Law extends its sincere congratulations to the students and their coaches on this accomplishment, and wishes them well as they continue their preparation for the international stage.
