The Team representing the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Law School achieved an outstanding second place in the 2024 All-European International Humanitarian and Refugee Law Moot Court Competition! This achievement follows a highly competitive and closely contested final round against the team representing the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
The 2024 NKUA team, comprising undergraduate students, Eleftherios Staikos and Melina Thanasoulia, along with postgraduate student Irini Dimakopoulou, showcased remarkable dedication and meticulous preparation. Their exceptional legal, pleading and role-playing abilities stood out in this demanding competition, which necessitates an in-depth understanding of various branches of international law, including international humanitarian law, international refugee law, and international criminal law. Their outstanding performance earned them a well-deserved second place. The team was guided by Dr. Stavros Evdokimos Pantazopoulos, with valuable support from Semina Athinelli, and assistance from Angelos Bozios and Iro Sala, members of last year’s winning team.
The 9th edition of this prestigious Competition was held from November 19 to 22, 2024, at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, with participation from 19 universities across Europe. The NKUA team first participated in this competition in 2022 and has consistently excelled, reaching the final round in all three of its appearances. These achievements include two titles and this year’s second-place finish, highlighting the team’s exceptional quality.
The All-European International Humanitarian and Refugee Law Moot Court Competition is based on a Case Study which is carefully prepared by the organisers University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Slovenian Red Cross, and addresses the most topical questions relating to international humanitarian and refugee law, drawing on current situations. It is designed to encourage students to study and understand the fundamental concepts of international humanitarian and refugee law by addressing concrete legal problems and practice their legal argumentation in front of experienced judges and panel members.