Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition 2021 : case concerning the J-Vid 18 Pandemic

Details

Supervisors

d'Argent, Pierre ; Debuisson, Aurélie

Faculty

Faculté de droit et de criminologie
Faculté de droit et de criminologie
Faculté de droit et de criminologie

Degree label

Master [120] en droit, à finalité spécialisée: Droit européen
Master [120] en droit, à finalité spécialisée: Justice civile et pénale
Master [120] en droit, à finalité spécialisée: Etat et Europe

Abstract

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the world's largest moot court competition, with participants from roughly 700 law schools in 100 countries and jurisdictions. This advocacy competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations. Teams of law students prepare oral and written pleadings arguing both the applicant and respondent positions of the case. They compete against one another through the presentation of oral and written pleadings to address timely issues of public international law in the context of a hypothetical legal dispute between nations. The Compromis is the springboard for the Jessup Competition. Written by leading scholars of international law, it is a compilation of agreed upon facts about the dispute that is submitted for adjudication to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). After the Compromis is released, students begin researching and preparing arguments for both sides of the dispute, drafting and editing written pleadings, called “memorials,” and practicing oral presentations. Each team prepares two written memorials and two 45-minute oral presentations, one for each party to the dispute (the “Applicant” and the “Respondent”). Teams argue alternately as Applicant and Respondent against competing teams before a panel of judges, simulating a proceeding before the International Court of Justice. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 Competition was held online, allowing participants to meet with teams around the world. The Jessup 2021 problem concerned a global pandemic, and the obligations and responses of States with respect to the outbreak. It also involved a desperate claim for political asylum by an alleged rogue scientist, questions of the jurisdiction of the Court with regard to a self-judging reservation, and State responsibility for shooting a civilian aircraft.