Horizon Campus – nurturing the next generation of top legal professionals

The Law Society of Horizon Campus with Dr. Ruwan Perera, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Horizon Campus 

With eight years of delivering the University of London LL.B Degree as the only Ministry of Higher Education approved degree awarding institution, Horizon Campus has to-date achieved the accolade of attaining over 80%-87% first time pass rates for this program. 

Helping students develop a critical awareness of the common law and apply problem-solving skills to a range of legal settings, the focus is on practical as well as theoretical teaching that nurtures students to develop the analytical and critical skills essential for formulating legal arguments. Taught by experienced academics in the field, in an open and friendly environment, emphasis is given to supporting students as individuals.

Delivering an inspiring student experience, participants are equipped with the skills demanded by employers and are trained to deal with challenging situations in the law and law-related workplace to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism. The campus provides an influential role to hone students’ advocacy skills in an ultra-realistic setting through mooting and has as active Law Society which has conducted several activities. 

Amongst them are the Henry Dunant Memorial Moot Competition, where students in their third year of study competed against eight other institution of law on the subject of Humanitarian Law. Underlining the relevance of participating in such competitions Dr. Ruwan Perera, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Horizon Campus stressed on the need for strong mechanisms to address humanitarian issues. 

“The relevance and the importance of the study and research in this subject cannot be over emphasised. It is encouraging to see our students gaining more knowledge on the subject matter and discussing and strategising on overcoming the challenges posed in this area of work with students of other leading universities.”

Another key event participated was the National Youth Model United Nations 2019, attended by six delegates from Horizon Campus. Dr. Ruwan said, “Taking part in such activities develop an increased awareness and interest in students to further their academic excellence, hone their practical skills and to develop their advocacy skills in an environment of friendly competition.”

Commercial awareness workshops and guest lectures to give students the chance to develop awareness of topical issues have also been held with the latest of them being on the subject of anatomies with the President of the Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Professor Ravindra Fernando, as its speaker. Future activities in the pipeline include prison visits and in sending delegates to trilingual debate competitions. Another guest lecture by Dr. S.P. Kandapola Arachchige, a respected psychological counsellor of spiritual and social development, has been organised by the committee on 28 January which will primarily focus on topic of stress management, mindfulness.

President of the Law Society, Rehan Perera explained, “The aim and purpose of the Law Society is to create an active society that aptly focuses on improving the practical aptitudes of all students. Therefore, we do regular visits to the courts and the parliament, in spite of the challenges we face in juggling the busy schedules of our students. Networking is another key focus of the society in the form of hosting more social events that will help our students gain the necessary connections with the industry.”

Endorsing these comments, Horizon Campus Vice Chancellor Professor S.J.B.A. Jayasekara emphasised, “We believe that the knowledge and intellectual competencies our students gain by being involved in these activities will enable them to develop as mature, professional individuals. Our degree is also highly internationalised in its content, delivery and assessment strategies. We aim to produce highly qualified individuals with a global perspective on the law that will ultimately contribute positively to uplifting the standard of the legal profession in the country.”