Moot ICC
The High School Moot International Criminal Court (ICC) Competition is designed to introduce high school students to the work of the ICC and how important international human rights issues are dealt with in an international criminal justice context. The competition is a closed-research process, with sources, including case law, journal articles, and factual information being completely provided to students. This is designed to encourage students to focus on a careful consideration of the human rights issues raised by the questions presented. Students will be required to prepare two four-page memorials and two oral arguments as if they were legal counsel for both the Applicant and Respondent before the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is important to note that the rules of the competition do not perfectly mirror the ICC’s Rules of Procedure, as they have been adjusted to reflect the unique nature of a high school moot court competition focusing on international criminal issues.
The questions presented are limited to the specific case provided by Global Solutions Pittsburgh and CILE. There will be two issues within the case that must be addressed during the “trial.” Both of these issues deal with very sensitive, serious, and potentially controversial issues. It is highly recommended that the teachers, coaches, and/or advisers involved in helping students prepare for the competition spend significant time with the students studying these issues as part of preparing for the moot court competition.
An Act 48 training session can also be offered, which would focus on preparing the teachers, coaches, and/or advisers to assist their students in preparing for the competition. The concepts behind preparing for the competition, including conducting research in a closed-source setting, and preparing legal-style memorials would be discussed. Also, the factual and legal concepts of the two issues would be covered so that you are well prepared to at least introduce your students to them at the start of the preparation. Be prepared for your students to quickly become “experts” on these subjects as they conduct their research and prepare the memorials. Finally, the structure of the competition itself, some basic public speaking guidelines for the courtroom setting, and the nature of the panel that will judge the competitions, would be addressed.
This year, registration will be open from January 7, 2013 until February 8, 2013 and the Competition will take place on April 5th & 6th, 2013. Online registration will be made available to all who are interested in participating.
For more information or registration questions about Moot ICC, please contact Michele Cahill.
