On Tuesday, 29 April 2014, first-year Law students were given the opportunity to simulate a trial before the International Court of Justice. The activity, supervised by Carlos Espaliú and María Mut, professors of International Public Law in the UIC Faculty of Law, was part of the subject's graded assignments and consisted of defending two different cases.
The activity was what is known as a moot court, a real-life trial simulation. Using real facts and authentic cases tried before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, the students had to act out the different roles in the court on a stage that seemed very real. “The objective of the activity is for the students to assimilate their theoretical knowledge more completely, become more familiar with the use of English in the field and develop a taste for the legal profession”, said Prof. Espaliú.
For the activity, the parties presented their pleadings and then had to defend their arguments at a hearing. Each case was heard by a court of seven judges, who had to resolve the dispute and, after hearing from both parties, pronounce judgement. The judges wore gowns and the hearings were held in English, the language of the Court, to create an experience that allowed the students to see firsthand how the practice of International Law is structured.
The two simulations were based on actual cases, but the details, parties and some of the facts and legal arguments were changed. Specifically, the first trial was based on “The Nicaragua Case”, a very important case in the history of the Court involving military and paramilitary activity of the US-backed Contra in Nicaragua during the 1970s and 1980s. The second case was based on Crimea’s succession from Ukraine and accession to Russia.
Prof. Espaliú was pleased with the students’ response. He said, “It was truly a pleasure to see how first-year Law students took on the roles of lawyers, diplomats and judges. And, for the most part, they did it very well”.
