The 2020 edition of the ICC Moot Court Competition concluded on 11 June with a wonderful virtual ceremony where we celebrated all participating teams and winners.
On behalf of the Organizing Committee and Board of Advisors, Prof. Carsten Stahn and Prof. Michael Scharf extend their gratitude to all the teams, supporters, evaluators, partners and sponsors who have gone out of their way to make the ICC Moot Court Competition a success this year, even if, much to everyone’s regret, we were not able to host the Oral Rounds. Despite the fact that we were not able to meet everyone in person this year or witness the case Prosecutor v. Cersei Bannister of Valaria come to life through the Oral Pleadings, we were very privileged to virtually meet the teams through their stories and pictures, while Prof. Scharf provided valuable insight into the case during an online live event.
The International Bar Association, our partner in the organization of the Competition, was represented during the Ceremony by Mr. Horacio Bernardes Neto, President of the IBA and Dr. Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the IBA. They both expressed their continued commitment to the ICC Moot Court Competition and to the participating teams. Mr. Bernardes Neto was highly impressed by the enthusiasm and hard work demonstrated by all participants, despite the challenging health crisis brought by COVID-19 that has affected and continues to affect the entire world. In addition, Dr. Ellis was inspired by the different backgrounds, cultures and expertise that the Competition brought together this year and emphasized the importance of accountability and speaking out against injustice.
The awards ceremony would not have been complete without a keynote speech, and we were very fortunate to have Judge Howard Morrison from the International Criminal Court join us. Judge Morrison usually presides over the Final Round of the ICC Moot Court Competition on the premises of the Court itself, but since things are very different this year, he kindly agreed to address the teams in a different capacity, that as friend and supporter of the Competition. Why is the Moot Court Competition so important? According to Judge Morrison: “Moot Courts are vital and challenging, because they engage research skills, legal reasoning and advocacy. These are essentials for anyone in the legal profession, and for anyone that changes the future”. His message to all of us is one of hope: “Young people can do anything they want, as long as they never lose the dream. They have the capacity, the intellectual skills, and the dynamism to do it. So, go forth. Help everyone, help yourself, make international law what it should be: a touchstone for the preservation of human rights”.
Lastly, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winning teams and thank once again all participants in the Competition, legal professionals, academics, and IBA members who so generously dedicated their free time to grading memorials, our sponsors, our partner the International Bar Association, and the International Criminal Court without whose support this Competition would not be possible.
Teams, never forget you are a specially trained cohort and will therefore play an important role in the future of international justice.
List of Awards – ICC Moot Court Competition 2020
Best Defense Counsel Memorial: The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR) &
Leiden University (The Netherlands)First Runner-up Best Defense Counsel Memorial: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (Germany) & Bond University (Australia)
Second Runner-up Best Defense Counsel Memorial: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
Best Prosecution Memorial: University of Tartu (Estonia)
First Runner-up Best Prosecution Memorial: University of New South Wales (Australia)
Second Runner-up Best Prosecution Memorial: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
(Hong Kong SAR)Best Government Counsel Memorial: Temple University (United States of America)
First Runner-up Best Government Counsel Memorial: Leiden University (The Netherlands)
Second Runner-up Best Government Counsel Memorial: University of Ottawa (Canada)
The IBA Best Memorial Award: Temple University (United States of America)
First Runner-up Best Memorial Award: University of Tartu (Estonia)
Second Runner-up Best Memorial Award: The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR)
Best Memorial Team Overall: The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR)
First Runner-up Best Memorial Team Overall: University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France)
Second Runner-up Best Memorial Team Overall: University of Ottawa (Canada)
Best Non-Native English-Speaking Team Memorial: University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France)
Best Newcomer Team Memorial: Kuwait International Law School (Kuwait)
Best Regional Memorial for Africa: Catholic University of Eastern Africa (Kenya)
Best Regional Memorial for Asia: The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR)
Best Regional Memorial for Europe: University of Tartu (Estonia)
Best Regional Memorial for the Americas (Central, North, South) & Oceania:
Temple University (United States of America)