A moot court is the replication of a trial based on the facts of real cases settled by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, in the Netherlands. Students play different roles in a setting designed to closely imitate reality. “The idea is for student to gain a deeper understanding of theory, familiarize themselves with the use of English in a professional context and experience the legal profession on a more practical level”, explained Professor Espaliú.

And that is just what happened: each party presented its case and, later, defended its arguments in oral proceedings. Five judges, complete with judicial robes, presided over each case. The bench considered each one and, after hearing both sides, handed down its verdict. Because the trials were conducted in English, one of the official languages of the court, the students had a chance to use their English language skills in the context of international law.

At this moot court, the Faculty of Law lecturers proposed dilemmas reminiscent of the legal issues that divided the old ex-Yugoslavian republics after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The cases dealt with genocide, as well as legitimate authorities’ ability to use force and uphold order.

The activity was overseen by Carlos Espaliú and Maria Mut, lecturers of International Public Law.