A trial simulation was organised as a part of the legal clinic for law students in Montenegro on 26 October 2021.

The moot court was based on case studies concerning domestic violence and parental rights.

Over a month, the students have been practicing for the moot court under the supervision of mentors, two prominent lawyers, Siniša Bjeković, Ombudsperson of Montenegro, and Snežana Armenko, Deputy Ombudsperson. Divided in two teams, the applicant and the state agent, students were tasked to draft the application and response to the application, thus practicing skills to present the legal argumentation and legal reasoning in writing.

During the simulation of court trial, students showed the ability to go beyond the university-based education and work in a more practical setting. The five-member panel of judges concluded that they demonstrated a strong command of human rights standards and strategic thinking.

Following the simulation of court trial, the students were awarded the certificates for a successful completion of the Human Rights Legal Clinic. They will continue to practice under the auspices of the legal clinic by working on real cases and dealing with real clients, with the support of their mentors and prominent lawyers from the Bar Association.

The moot court competition was organised within the action "Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro", that is a part of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.