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International Human Rights competition for lawyers

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The International Human Rights competition for lawyers is an annual pleading contest held at the Mémorial de Caen (France), near the D-Day landing beaches.

Presentation

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Competition final in 2020.

This international competition for lawyers has been running since 1989. Ten lawyers from all over the world present and defend an individual case of human rights violation before a jury of public figures. The competition was the brainchild of the President of the Caen Bar, Bernard Blanchard.[1] Every year, the event attracts several hundred spectators.[2]

The competition is organized in partnership by the National Council of French Bars, the Caen Bar, the Conference of Presidents of the Bar, the Paris Bar, the International Union of Lawyers and the National Federation of Young Lawyers.[3]

For over thirty years, more than a thousand candidate lawyers from over 80 countries have come to the Caen Memorial to denounce a real, individual case of human rights violation.[4]

The jury includes lawyers, politicians, journalists, and diplomats, such as Leïla Aslaoui, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Abdou Diouf, Barbara Hendricks, Stéphane Hessel, Hauwa Ibrahim, Abraham Serfaty, Christiane Taubira...[5]

In addition to the pleading competition reserved for lawyers, the Caen Memorial has also organized a pleading competition since 2011 for student lawyers, as well as a competition for high-school students co-organized with Amnesty International, the first prize of which is a visit to the United Nations in New York.[6] Since 2008, the International Human Rights Competition for lawyers has supported the Al-Quds University Peace Moot Court Competition in Jerusalem.[7]

Impact of the competition on pleaded cases

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Since its inception, the competition follows up the cases that are presented and pleaded. In fact, a follow-up committee has been set up to ensure that cases are dealt with on an ongoing basis, and to act in favor of the person defended during the competition. As a result, some of the people defended during the competition have been pardoned or released:

For example:

Competition winners

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  • 2024: Don de Dieu Nyembo Louis[9]
  • 2023: Maryam Meylan[10]
  • 2022: Hasna Louze[11]
  • 2021: Laura Temin[12]
  • 2020: François Bourguignon[13]
  • 2019: Etienne Mangeot[14]
  • 2018: Antione Chaudey[15]
  • 2017: Ashkhen Harutyunan[16]
  • 2016: Floria Diana-Martine[17]
  • 2015: François Dessy[18]
  • 2014: Yasmine Attia[19]
  • 2013: Charles Merlen[20]
  • 2012: Ophélie Kirsch[21]
  • 2011: Mahmoud Arqan[22]
  • 2009: Raymond Lesniak[23]
  • 2008: Simon Pierre Ngue Bong[24]
  • 2004: Laurent Gamet[25]
  • 1993: Jean Ouellet[26]

Works

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Each year, the Caen Memorial Museum publishes a book listing the winning pleadings. The books are illustrated by cartoonist Emmanuel Chaunu.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "Avocat et ancien bâtonnier, Bernard Blanchard est décédé à Caen". caen.maville.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  2. ^ "Concours de plaidoiries à Caen : quelles causes seront défendues au Mémorial ?". actu.fr (in French). 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  3. ^ "Lawyers: come and defend human rights" (PDF). 2019.
  4. ^ "France : une avocate iranienne remporte le concours de plaidoiries des Droits de l'Homme du Mémorial de Caen". Le Figaro (in French). 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  5. ^ "21eme Concours de Plaidoiries du Mémorial de CAEN | Agenda". FNUJA | Fédération Nationale des Unions de Jeunes Avocats (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  6. ^ "Concours international de plaidoiries pour les droits de l'homme | Conseil national des barreaux". www.cnb.avocat.fr. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  7. ^ "Normandie. Plaidoiries de Jérusalem : les avocats plaident ce dimanche". Ouest-France (in French). 2017-10-22. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  8. ^ Thiébot, Emmanuel (2009). "Du Mémorial de Caen à la Cité de l'histoire". Études Normandes. 58 (1): 73–79. doi:10.3406/etnor.2009.1757.
  9. ^ TRAVADON, Nathalie (2024-03-17). "Un jeune avocat de la République démocratique du Congo gagne les plaidoiries du Mémorial de Caen". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  10. ^ Ouest-France (2023-03-12). "Concours de Plaidoiries au Mémorial de Caen. Maryam Meylan et les femmes iraniennes vainqueures". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  11. ^ GAUTIER, Recueilli par Jean-Philippe (2022-03-20). "ENTRETIEN. « J'ai déjà pensé à raccrocher la robe » : l'avocate Hasna Louze a été primée à Caen". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  12. ^ BRETON, Benoit LE (2021-03-21). "Plaidoiries au Mémorial de Caen . Elle a défendu les « mules » transportant de la cocaïne". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  13. ^ LEMAÎTRE, Aurélie (2020-01-27). "VIDÉO. Plaidoiries au Mémorial de Caen : l'avocat qui défend les « Dames de fraises »". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  14. ^ LEMAÎTRE, Aurélie (2019-01-27). "Concours de plaidoiries à Caen. Me Etienne Mangeot lauréat de la 30e édition". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  15. ^ LEMAÎTRE, Aurélie (2018-01-28). "Concours de plaidoiries à Caen. Antoine Chaudey remporte le 1er prix". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  16. ^ Ouest-France (2017-01-28). "Caen. Ashkhen Harutyunan, avocate marseillaise, primée au Mémorial". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  17. ^ FRESNAIS, Raphaël (2016-01-29). "Concours de plaidoiries. Revivez le "Direct" de ce samedi au Mémorial". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  18. ^ "Un avocat belge, 1er Prix du Concours de plaidoiries du Mémorial de Caen". UIA (in French). 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  19. ^ "Yasmine Attia, vainqueur du concours international de plaidoiries pour les Droits de l'Homme du Mémorial de Caen". UIA (in French). 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  20. ^ Ouest-France (2013-02-02). "Concours de plaidoiries à Caen. 1er prix à l'avocat du « soldat de WikiLeaks »". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  21. ^ "La lauréate du concours de plaidoirie "rêve des assises"". Agence France-Presse. 2012-06-04.
  22. ^ "Mahmoud Arqan, avocat palestinien, lauréat du concours de plaidoirie de Caen" (in French). 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  23. ^ "Un sénateur américain remporte le concours de plaidoiries au Mémorial de Caen". caen.maville.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  24. ^ "MI014932". UIA (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  25. ^ Emmanuel, Chaunu (2004). 15e Concours international de plaidoiries : 25 janvier 2004, au Mémorial de Caen (in French). ISBN 978-2849110348.
  26. ^ "Au Mémorial pour la paix de Caen Un Québécois lauréat du concours international de plaidoirie" (in French). 1993-04-04. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  27. ^ Ourse, Librairie La Grande. 2e Concours international de plaidoiries, 21 ma... - Mémorial de Caen, Ordre des avocats - Mémorial de Caen (in French).

See also

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