EWMI NEWS:
SEPTEMBER 2008
PRAJ ORGANIZES SECOND ANNUAL CAMBODIA MOCK TRIAL

EWMI’s USAID-funded Program on Rights and Justice (PRAJ) organized the Second Annual Cambodian Mock Trial Competition at the University of Cambodia in Phnom Penh on September 3 – 5. Teams from five Cambodian law schools competed for the honors of National Champion in a mock trial case involving a stolen purse. Over 200 people from the legal, judicial and law school community watched as the law students performed as defense attorneys, witnesses and prosecutors in front of a judging panel that included local Cambodian judges and international lawyers. The event was also covered by a number of local media outlets, including the Phnom Penh Post and Radio Free Asia.

Dr. Angus D. Munro, the Vice President of the University of Cambodia, and Piper Campbell, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Embassy of the United States of America, presided over the award ceremony and had the honor of announcing this year’s National Champion – the team of students from Pannasastra University of Cambodia.

The Mock Trial Competition was organized in collaboration with the American Bar Association (ABA) and provided a unique and novel opportunity for Cambodian law students to learn about case strategy, logic, argumentation, examination and other important legal skills. The Competition is part of PRAJ’s wider efforts to teach advocacy skills to the future lawyers and judges of Cambodia.

A student conducts a cross examination in the semi-finals.