WTI-sponsored ELSA Moot Court heads towards final round

MILE alumnus Christian Vidal attended the Grahamstown regional round where he gave a presentation about the WTI and was due to award the certificates to the winning team.

Regional rounds have already concluded in Europe, Singapore and America.

The WTI – an Academic Partner of the ELSA Moot Court – was represented by alumni Thuy Nguyen at the Asian Regional Round in Singapore on 19-22 February, and Maria Moreno at the American Regional Round in Bogotá on 1-5 March.

Alumnus Sergey Lakhno did the honours at the 1st European Regional Round in Cluj-Napoca, Romania on 10-14 March, and WTI research fellow Tetyana Payosova was a panellist at the 2nd European Regional Round in Kyiv from 17 to 21 March.

She reported that the round had been very well organised and had even been covered by national TV in Ukraine. The competition was won by a team from Istanbul University.

The winning team from each regional round receive a certificate that they can exchange against two weeks at the WTI Summer Academy, two weeks of the MILE programme or two weeks of the TRAIL+ programme.

The final oral round will take place at the WTO in Geneva on 6-11 June. Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies at the WTI and WTO Appellate Body member, will award the certificates to the winning team. Winners receive a prize of five weeks at the WTI Summer Academy, of which one week can be redeemed against a week of the MILE or of the TRAIL+ programme.

The ELSA Moot Court Competition is a simulated hearing of the WTO dispute settlement system. The WTI has been involved in the competition since 2009.