We are proud to announce that the team from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Law successfully participated in the grand final of the 13th Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition, which took place from May 19–23, 2025, at the premises of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
The team, consisting of undergraduate students Nikolaos Kyrillidis, Andriana Chandanou, Iason-Omiros Christidis, and Kyriaki Chronaki, distinguished itself across all phases of the competition, which featured approximately 60 teams from across Europe.
They were coached by Katia Rippi, LLM candidate, and Eirini Vyzirgiannaki, trainee lawyer, both former participants in the competition, under the academic supervision of Professor Maria Gavouneli.
Organised by the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) in cooperation with the Council of Europe, the competition simulates proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights and challenges participants to engage with complex legal issues under the European Convention on Human Rights. This year’s case focused on personal autonomy and property rights within the Convention framework.
The Athens team submitted robust written memorials for both the applicant and the respondent, earning the second highest score for respondent submissions and ranking fourth overall in the written phase. Their strong performance continued at the Vilnius Regional Round in February 2025, where their oral advocacy helped secure advancement to the Final Oral Round in Strasbourg. Based on the combined scores of the written and regional oral phases, the team advanced as the third highest overall finalist and first among the teams competing in the Vilnius round.
In May 2025, the team participated in the Final Oral Round, held at the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, competing among the top 18 finalist teams in Europe. They concluded their journey with a commendable 14th place overall, demonstrating outstanding legal reasoning, persuasive advocacy, and teamwork. Their performance reflects the high academic standards and strong tradition of excellence upheld by the Law School of Athens.
The team’s participation was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), ELSA Athens, the Kyriakides–Georgopoulos Law Firm, the Moussas & Partners Law Firm, and the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights.
We warmly congratulate the students for their remarkable performance and their distinguished representation of the University at the international level!
