International Criminal Court Moot

The International Criminal Court Moot is the world's leading moot on international criminal law, with a particular focus on the Rome Statute. The moot, which began as an in-class exercise at Pace Law School and named a trial competition, is now run in multiple languages and is supported by the International Criminal Court and International Bar Association. The English edition of the moot draws the most participants.

The moot problem is typically based on contemporary issues of the day and comprises a blend of jurisdictional, procedural, attribution, and substantive matters. Unlike most moots that feature two opposing sides, this moot features three of the following four sides in any given edition: prosecution, defence, government, and victims.

Judges in the international rounds include Queen's Counsel, judges of the International Criminal Court, prosecutors and defence counsel in international criminal tribunals, and leading academics. Due to travel restrictions brought about by COVID-19, the 2019/20 edition was cancelled, and the 2020/21  and 2021/22 editions held online. The 2022/23 edition saw a return to in-person format.

Established: 2005; 2007 for international rounds
Venue (international rounds): The Hague
Record number of participants: 112 teams (2016)
Subject matter: International criminal law; international humanitarian law
Qualification process: National rounds where applicable, with flexible geographical caps
Prep window: October to June
Comp duration (international rounds): 6 days, with socio-academic events included
Maximum team size: 5
Team anonymity: Yes
Format (international rounds): Stand-up, 3 issues, 1 speaker, 30 minutes (including 1-speaker rebuttal); 6 prelim rounds, knockouts from 27 with power seeding; 10,000-word (incl fn) pleadings for each side
Memorial weightage: 1/2 for prelims
Advanced round qualification priority: Scores
Registration fee: 350 to 975 euros per team
Repeat participation: Allowed
Multiple teams from same institution: Not allowed
Most championships: Singapore Management University (3 + 1 online)
Most awards won in a single edition: Singapore Management University (10, 2021)

Official website | facebook | Twitter