In order to provide law students with an opportunity to gain practical experience in the field, the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA), has launched the 12th edition of the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition in cooperation with the Council of Europe.
The competition, which simulates the procedure of complaints to the European Court of Human Rights, is open to teams of 2-4 students coming from the same university. Students should be from ELSA countries as well as from countries that are members of the Council of Europe.
The simulation of a court trial is often divided into two phases: the written phase and the oral phase. In the written part students, based on a fictive case, draft submissions or memorials on behalf of the applicant and the respondent.
The written phase leads to the oral phase which means simulations of court hearings where students represent the applicant and the respondent. The teams will examine a fictive case and draft written submissions for each party.
The teams will be evaluated based on their written admissions and the best ones will participate in the regional rounds. The best 18 teams will compete in the final oral round at the European final at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.
There is an initial participation fee of € 100 per participant as well as the Regional Round fee.
There will be three Regional Round of the Competition hosted by ELSA Local and/or National Groups.
Each Team will be randomly assigned to a Regional Round:
- 2-4 February 2024 (Ankara, Turkiye);
- 15-17 February 2024 (St. Gallen, Switzerland);
- 23-25 February 2024 (Dublin, Ireland).
Each team must take part in one Regional Round, and the results from the Regional Round count towards the selection of the teams going to the Final Oral Round.
Accommodation and travel costs to the Regional Round are not covered by the participation fee.
Prizes
Each member of the winning team will win the Council of Europe prize and they will be awarded a one-month traineeship at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
The Best Overall Orator will be awarded with a traineeship at the Council of Europe Liaison Office with the European Union in Brussels.
Each team registered for the competition can submit up to three clarification questions concerning the case, that will be forwarded and answered by the Case Authors.
Deadlines
– 15 November 2023, 23:59 CET, for teams to register;
– 11 December 2023, 23:59 CET, for written submission.
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