St. Dominic High School won the big prize in the SXM Moot Court Competition on Friday for the third time in a row.
PHILIPSBURG--For the third time in a row St. Dominic High School captured first place in the SXM Moot Court Competition which was held at the Courthouse in Philipsburg on Friday afternoon.
Other participants in the competition for high school students, organised by SXM Moot Court Foundation were Milton Peters College HAVO, Milton Peters VWO and Caribbean International Academy (CIA).
In the competition, which is aimed towards making high school students more familiar with (international) law, teams of three students acted as either the prosecution or defence in a simulated case before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Students were given a fictional case to argue and had to use real international law to defend their position.
Judged by Moot Court Judges Alexander van Rijen, Wally Havertong and Court President Richelda Emmanuel, the Moot Court students pleaded their cases in front of an audience, among which were Minister of Education Wycliffe Smith, Minister of Finance Perry Geerlings, Chairwoman of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams and Member of Parliament (MP) Rolando Brison.
During the prize-giving ceremony which took place at Holland House Beach Hotel, Wescot-Williams announced the winners of the 2019 SXM Moot Court Competition.
St. Dominic’s main team members Yvette Serrata Rosario, Naomi Jankee and Srishti Rajani with alternates Meenakshi Jaisinghani, Galena Remy and Hermita Ramchandani, received the 2019 SXM Moot Court Competition trophy for their school and secured themselves a spot in the 2020 High School International Moot Court in The Hague.
St. Maarten Courthouse’s operational manager Emmanuel announced the winner of the best-speaker category, which honours went to St. Dominic’s team member Serrate Rosario.
The grand-prize winners of the SXM Moot Court will travel to the Netherlands next year to compete at an international level at the Peace Palace in The Hague before a panel of actual ICC judges.
This team will compete against top teams from all over the world, including the United States, Russia, China, the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Poland, Venezuela, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, South Africa and Sweden.
The St. Dominic’s Moot Court team was coached by Azaria de Groot of Hoeve and Rogers attorneys and consultants.
