St. Maarten law school students Valya Pantophlet (left) and Vincent Boetius (right) pleading before an audience at the renovated “Flamboyant Room” in the Courthouse of St. Maarten.
~ Valya Pantophlet graduates ~
PHILIPSBURG--Dr. Moises Da Costa Gomez University of Curaçao (UOC) organised the first-ever moot court exam for four St. Maarten law school students at the courthouse in Philipsburg.
For one of the students, Valya Pantophlet, passing this examination also meant that she is St. Maarten’s first-ever law school graduate from the university’s bachelor of law programme.
The moot court was organised by Gerald Simmons-de Jong and Karan Doekhi, both frequent guest lecturers and teachers at UOC, in close collaboration with the coordinator of the St. Maarten department of the university, Eunelda Cairo.
Moot court is part of the university’s bachelor programme during which the students prepare and present a court case to a panel of judges. The idea is that the moot court creates a realistic court session as much as possible.
In this moot court, students were given a bankruptcy case. In short, a couple had decided to purchase and construct an expensive yacht, but eventually the company through which they structured this went bankrupt and the couple were held personally liable, among other things.
Two students were tasked with representing the trustee (in Dutch “curator”) and the other two students represented the couple that was held liable.
The panel of judges consisted of vice president of the Joint Court of Justice Gertjan Wouters, Simmons-de Jong and Doekhi. They were assisted by court recorder Jacqueline Evers-Maria.
‘‘Moot court is a great opportunity during the bachelor exam to put in practice what you have learned so far. It’s always a special moment for a law student, and I am very proud that the University of Curaçao was able to organise the moot court exam for the first-ever bachelor student graduate for the country St. Maarten, Ms. Valya Pantophlet. I congratulate all of the students. They did great,’’ said Simmons-de Jong.
In addition to family members and friends of the students, various ministers and dignitaries also came out to the moot court to show support for the exam candidates.
Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion and Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Egbert J. Doran were present on behalf of the Council of Ministers.
The most honoured guest was Richard Gibson Sr. “It was very special to have Mr. Gibson Sr.
attend our moot court, because he was instrumental in the starting phase of the law school programme in St. Maarten,” said Cairo on behalf of the St. Maarten department of the University of Curaçao.
The moot court in session with (from left) judges Gerald Simmons-de Jong, Gertjan Wouters and, via video-conferencing, Karan Doekhi. At right is court recorder Jacqueline Evers-Maria.
From left: Judges Gertjan Wouters and Gerald Simmons, law students Richelda Emmanuel, Valya Pantophlet, Vincent Boetius and Nicole Maccow, recorder Jacqueline Evers-Maria, recorder Eudia Comvalius who was sworn in Monday afternoon, and coordinator of the St. Maarten department of the University of Curaçao Eunelda Cairo.
