Pictured ICC Judge Chang-ho Chung with the winning team ©ICC-CPI
On 12 July 2019, the Central South University (Changsha) won the final round of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition, Chinese version, held in ICC Courtroom I in The Hague (Netherlands). Soochow University and Jilin University (Changchun City) won, respectively, second and third place. The Best Speaker award went to Yujie Zhu of the Central South University.
Members of the winning team are Shuzhi Luo, Xuer Ou, Yujie Zhu, Boxin Li, Jiahui Li, Yechong Li, and Liyun Tang. On the judge’s bench for this competition were ICC Judge Chang-ho Chung and ICC legal officers Romina Morello and Anthony Abato. The teams competed on a fictitious case, presenting oral arguments in the roles of the Office of the Prosecutor, the Defence and State Counsel, which were web-streamed live on the Court’s website.
This year, 59 universities participated in the competition, where students put to the test their knowledge of the applicable law and jurisprudence of the ICC. After the main rounds, twelve teams came to The Hague for a six-day study visit before the final competition at the ICC.
The study visit offered the students a unique opportunity to gather in an exciting setting and to meet with eminent personalities of the international law scene. The students visited several international institutions and organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, the International Development Law Organization, and the Anne Frank House. This version of the ICC Moot Court Competition is organised by the Chinese Initiative on International Criminal Justice (CIICJ).
In the context of its Academic Programme, the ICC supports the organisation of ICC Moot Court Competitions in Chinese, English, Russian and Spanish, with a view to also support Arabic and French versions in the future. These initiatives play a critical role in galvanising interest in the Court’s work with academic communities as well as in enhancing promotion and respect for international criminal law.
