The Moot Court team in front of the venue in The Hague. From left in back: Rebecca Gerome, Sam Kalar, Danny Auron. From left in front: Bianca Isaias, Sarah de Mol

This year’s International Criminal Court Moot Competition team, sponsored by CHRGJ and Hauser, traveled to The Hague May 19-23 to take part in the international round of the moot.  The team, consisting of Sarah de Mol (LLM ’14), Rebecca Gerome (JD ’15), Sam Kalar (JD ’14), researcher Bianca Isaias (JD ’15), coach Danny Auron, and assistant coach Dennis Ardis (JD ’14), finished 14th in the international round, missing out on the semi-finals by just 14 points out of 600 possible to be awarded.  The team reached the international rounds by ranking first overall in the North American rounds, picking up several awards in the process.

This year’s moot, in which students take on the roles of ICC Prosecutor, Counsel for the Defense, and Government Counsel before the Appeals Chamber of the ICC, was the largest in the competition’s history, with over 80 teams entered and 47 universities represented at the international round.  Students also had the opportunity to visit the ICC and the ICTY, where hearings were in session.  The moot problem concerned a deposed military head of state charged with crimes against humanity for ordering drone strikes against a violent separatist group, resulting in the deaths of many civilians.  Students also considered the evidentiary value of NGO reports in hearings before the ICC.  The moot was won by National Law University of Delhi.

The Prosecutor team: Sam Kalar and Bianca Isaias

The Government Counsel team: Sarah de Mol and Rebecca Gerome