Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila / Asylum Protection Center

On May 13, 2009, on the occasion of successful completion of the UNHCR Refugee Law Clinic (ran at the Law School in Belgrade) of the third generation of students, diplomas were presented at the ceremony to all participants, and for the first time a Moot Court Competition in this field was held in the hall-court of the Law School in Belgrade. The students took part in a hypothetical case in which the role of the applicant, i.e., representative of the asylum seeker was played by Minja Blažić and Danilo Ćurčić, while the role of the respondent – government body which decides if the asylum seeker is to be granted asylum in a fictitious state Halbatante, was played by Milan Lažetić and Marko Anojčić.  Two teams prepared their written briefs for the whole month, and then exchanged them, while in oral rounds, i.e. during the very simulation, they had fifteen minutes to present their arguments before a four-member Panel of Judges. After presented oral arguments of the applicant and the respondent, the judges asked questions, and then each party was given some time at the end of the moot to summarize their arguments and conclude. We have to stress here that the students-contestants showed exceptionally good knowledge of the refugee law and were brilliant in their exceptionally good-presented arguments and well prepared performances. After the court proceeding simulation, representative of UNHCR in Serbia Mr. Lenart Kocalainen handed diplomas to all Clinic participants, and then a cocktail followed in the ceremony hall. The students of the Law School in Belgrade, who are interested in this field and did not participate the Clinic will have a chance to do that in September this year, of course, once more thanks to organizing abilities and experience of Mr Dejan Kladarin, legal adviser to the Head of the Legal Protection Dept. of the UNHCR Office in Serbia.