Leiden University hosts 2024 Telders International Law Moot Court Competition
Leiden University hosted the 47th Telders International Law Moot Court Competition, which took place between 30 May and 1 June 2024.
This year’s problem, drafted by Dr Vahid Rezadoost, addressed a complex dispute involving three States with a history centred around colonialism and sovereignty claims over the island of Hemret. The case delved into topics such as provisional measures, the jurisdiction of international courts and tribunals, incidental proceedings, the authority of advisory opinions, the law of armed conflict, the law of treaties, the law of the sea and the law of State responsibility.
The Leiden University team was represented by Áine Doyle, Alua Toleubayev, Behruz Yusopov and Tanja Welter, all of whom are currently taking the regular LL.M. in Public International Law. The team was coached by Alan Gül, a member of the teaching and research staff at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies, and Yazmin Ramos (Advanced LL.M. PIL student).
Over two days, 27 teams delivered four rounds of oral pleadings each at Leiden University's campus in The Hague. The finals took place on Saturday 1 June at the Peace Palace between the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Comenius University in Bratislava. The final round was judged by Judge Georg Nolte (Judge at the International Court of Justice), Judge Ivana Hrdličková (former president of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon) and Ambassador Mario Oyarzábal (Argentinian Ambassador to the Netherlands and member of the International Law Commission).
After the judges' deliberation, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was announced as the winning team of the 47th Telders International Law Moot Court Competition. The team members said that bringing this win home to Kyiv gives hope that international law continues to be the most correct, efficient way of settling international disputes.
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Leiden University's 2024 Telders team -
The winning team from Ukraine, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy -
Runner-up: the team from Slovakia, Comenius University in Bratislava -
Niels Blokker with the case author, Dr Vahid Rezadoost