Qatar University, Al Jazeera to host moot courts

Doha, Qatar: The Middle Eastern round of the Monroe E Price International Media Law Moot Court Competition is set to begin here today.

The regional round of the international competition is being held at the Al Jazeera’s Media Training and Development Centre and sponsored for the second year by the Doha-based media organisation and Qatar University (QU).

The contest will see law students from nine universities of six countries in the Middle East argue media law issues in a mock-courtroom setting.



The four-day event is organised by the University of Oxford’s Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy and the University of Pennsylvania‘s Annenberg School for Communication and QU ‘s College of Law. It aims to strengthen media law and policy research, teaching and practice in Qatar and the Middle East.

Each team was given a simulated scenario containing numerous issues of international media law, which they had to outline in written submissions. In these rounds, the teams come together to argue their cases in front of teams of international judges.

The final stage of the competition will take place on February 21 in front of an invited audience. The winners will compete in the international rounds of the contest in Oxford.

QU ‘s team includes Reem Abdulla Al Ansari, Hajar Dormohammad Kadkhodaei, Buthaina Mohammed Osman, Maryam Al Ansari and Noora Ramadan Abdulla.

Mariam Ali Alkaabi assisted the team with the initial writing of the memorials submitted by them. The team is coached by College of Law lecturer Chris Evers and teaching assistant Muna Al Marzouqi.

“The ability to argue complex legal points in a concise, persuasive and compelling manner is the hallmark of a great lawyer. This competition gives students an excellent opportunity to use all they have learned in the classroom in a mock-courtroom setting and apply their arguments using international media law,” QU ‘s College of Law Dean Dr Hassan Okour, said.

“It also gives them the chance to meet fellow law students from across the Middle East and learn from expert legal minds. As QU ‘s College of Law emerges as a model law school in the region, we welcome opportunities such as these to allow our students to challenge themselves to be the best,” he added.

“We are privileged and honoured to host the Media Law Moot. Oxford and Pennsylvania universities are some of the most highly regarded universities globally and we hope that our partnership will foster further growth of our relationship with international academic institutions,” Mounir Daymi, Director of Aljazeera Media Training & Development Centre, said.