The Supreme Court of Kenya has kicked off its Annual Moot Court competition, bringing together bright legal minds from 16 universities across the.
The Moot Court competition is a three-day contest designed to nurture the next generation of advocates.
The event, which runs from November 12 to 14, 2025, is part of the Supreme Court Mentorship Programme, an initiative launched last year to mentor law students in key aspects of legal practice and judicial ethics.
According to the Court, the competition is designed to sharpen participants’ advocacy skills, courtroom etiquette, legal research and reasoning, drafting, and case analysis, all essential competencies for aspiring lawyers.
“This theme resonates globally, reflecting urgent human rights challenges arising from conflicts across the globe. It is a discourse of immense relevance, one that scholars, practitioners, and defenders of human rights continue to grapple with,” the Supreme Court said in a statement.
This year’s theme focuses on international law, particularly refugee and migration rights, a topic that has gained urgency amid growing humanitarian crises and displacement across the world.
Supreme Court said the theme was chosen to inspire students to think critically about contemporary human rights challenges.
Just like last year’s inaugural moot, which preceded the SC@12 Conference, the 2025 competition sets the stage for another major judicial gathering, the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) Conference, which will take place from November 17 to 21, 2025, in Nairobi.
The deliberate link between the two events, officials said, underscores the Judiciary’s commitment to advancing dialogue and jurisprudence on migration and refugee rights both within Kenya and across the continent.
“It is a privilege for Kenya to host the inaugural IARMJ Conference, bringing together distinguished jurists and scholars from across the globe,” the Court said.
A Moot Court competition in progress / HANDOUT According to them, the moot competition offers students an opportunity to engage with ideas that will shape future legal frameworks on migration and human rights.
The competition continues through the week, with finalists expected to argue their cases before a panel of Supreme Court judges on the closing day.
The winning team will receive recognition from the Chief Justice for excellence in legal reasoning, research, and presentation.
A moot court competition is a simulated legal
proceeding where law students draft legal documents and argue a hypothetical
case before a panel of judges.
