Law students get the opportunity to fight an appeals case in a moot competition

First and second-year law students had the opportunity to boost their confidence and get to know what fighting a real court case feels like as they participated in a mock trial at the University of Fiji campus last night.

Uni Fiji law student, Suli Vakatuturagani says despite the details of the case being given to them just days before today’s moot competition, they were able to put up a good performance.

He says they had prepared their submission based on their expectations on what questions they could be asked and the scenarios that could be presented. His co-council, Savenaca Cinanidaveta says this competition allowed him the opportunity for public speaking and uplift his confidence level.

He says he wants to be an ambassador for the country in the future and law has provided him a platform to further his career.

Fiji National University law student, Jerasel John Gonelevu says it was an intimidating experience but speaking in front of other students as well as lawyers gave him the exposure.

His co-council, John Aditya Chand says he was nervous at first because of the pressure of making submissions in front of people but he managed to overcome that once he began.

He says it was an exciting opportunity and he learnt that confidence is the key to success.

Meanwhile, the law students made a submission in a mock appeal case where they had to appeal the High Court’s decision in the matter where a medical student had lost the case against government where the government suspended the funding for MBBS scholarships and as a result, her right to education was denied.

Fiji National University had submitted that the government did not provide a sufficient reason to suspend scholarships for MBBS.

The students had said in the mock that government’s lawyers had argued that the country has enough doctors however, their stand is that at a time of a pandemic, the country needs more doctors.

Meanwhile, University of Fiji students had argued that there was an abuse of processes as the students could have appealed the matter with the Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Board.

They had also submitted the government’s responsibility is for the whole of Fiji and its people and not just one section of the society, in this case, medical students.

The law students also said that based on available statistics, there are enough doctors in the country.

The winner of the moot competition was not decided as it will continue next week.