The finals paired Anglophone and Francophone schools, with Liberia joining Côte d’Ivoire, while Kenya teamed up with the University of Bukavu of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Monrovia – The Liberia School of Law (LSL) has emerged victorious at the maiden edition of the ECOWAS Moot Court Competition, held August 13–16 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The Liberian team, comprising students Peace Khasu and Abigail Dorbor, coached by Prof. Gerald D. Yeakula, clinched the top prize alongside students from Felix Houphouet-Boigny University of Côte d’Ivoire.
The competition brought together law students from West, Central, and East Africa to argue a hypothetical case before the ECOWAS Court of Justice on whether corruption and tolerance of inhumane cultural practices constitute justiciable violations of human rights and treaty obligations under the UN, AU, and ECOWAS charters.
Liberia advanced after Nigeria forfeited its opening match, then tied against Kenya’s African Nazarene University in a fiercely contested round, securing a spot in the final. The finals paired Anglophone and Francophone schools, with Liberia joining Côte d’Ivoire, while Kenya teamed up with the University of Bukavu of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Following spirited arguments, a panel of distinguished judges – including Madam Makaya Dagnogo, Legal Counsel at Côte d’Ivoire’s National Human Rights Council, Mr. Erick Essien, Magistrate and Human Rights Specialist, and Hon. Abdoulaye Ben Mette, Member of the Ivorian National Assembly – declared the Liberia/Côte d’Ivoire team the overall winner.
Despite being first-year students, Khasu and Dorbor impressed the judges and their peers. Khasu, who led the opening arguments in the final, was named Second Best Advocate of the Competition, with Judge Mette describing her as “born to be a lawyer.”
LSL President Kwame Clement praised the team’s achievement, attributing their success to the students’ brilliance and Prof. Yeakula’s mentorship. He also thanked the school’s Board of Trustees, including members Paul Mandell and Joy Isibor Nosegbe, and Board Chairman Retired Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor, Sr., for their critical support.
Founded in November 2024, the Liberia School of Law is the country’s second law school since the introduction of formal legal education more than 70 years ago.
