25 February 2023
By Ahmed Saeed
LAHORE
A two-day mock court competition in Urdu language was organized between law schools across Pakistan in collaboration with the Youth General Assembly and Lahore School of Law in Lahore on Saturday.
Sixty participants from 28 teams from across the country participated in the competition. Law students gave arguments in Urdu language on various constitutional matters in the mock court contest.
“The mock court competition on constitutional issues in the Urdu language will increase the ability of students to understand the Constitution,” former Lahore High Court judge Nasira Javed told Voicepk.net. She is also the principal of the Lahore School of Law.
Students participating in the contest told Voicepk.net that the holding of the mock court proceedings in the Urdu language has boosted their confidence as proceedings in the lower courts are usually conducted in Urdu.
According to High Court lawyer Salman Mann, who was on the panel of judges of the competition, such competitions increase the professional skills of law students. Mann suggested that the high court bar associations should also organise such competitions which should be chaired by the judges of the high court.
Ghaazal Khan, organiser of the competition, explained that this was the second Urdu competition of its kind. “Law students are of the opinion that such competitions should be held more often given that their academic courses are in English while all court proceedings are conducted in Urdu,” she said.
The competition also featured a panel discussion with journalists and activists. Senior journalist Munizae Jahangir, educationist Salman Abid and activist Prof. Ammar Ali Jan shared their thoughts on issues relating to freedom of expression and how to remove the obstacles to free speech in the country.
At the occasion, Editor in Chief, Voicepk.net, Munizae Jahangir, gave a briefing to the participants about cases filed against journalists to stifle media in the country.
Students said that such competitions enhanced their creativity and helped them understand complex constitutional and legal issues.