The 2025 IBA ICC Moot Court Competition (Moot Court or 'Competition') has been won by Singapore Management University . The winning team comprised Lea Yeo Jen Wen, Justin Chew, Dewi Sabrina Husnan, Timothy Cheng Zhi Wen, Wong Zi Yang and Elsa Shalina Abdullah and their coach Andrew Chia. It is the University's second consecutive win having won last year's event held by the International Bar Association (IBA) in conjunction with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Teams competed on a fictitious case, The Prosecutor v Arrix Vragar Situation in The Republic of Northeros , presenting oral arguments in the roles of the Office of the Prosecutor, the Defence and the Legal Representatives of Victims. The final round of the Competition was held in the ICC's Courtroom III in The Hague, Netherlands on 18 June 2025. Judge Bertram Schmitt presided over the panel of judges that included ICC Legal Officers Andrew Merrylees and Hyuree Kim.
The second and third places of the Competition were, respectively, won by the Ateneo de Manila University, School of Law in the Philippines and Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn in Germany. Organised by the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University , the IBA ICC Moot Court Competition is in its 12th year and is the largest English language simulation of the proceedings of the ICC. This year, 88 universities with more than 450 students from 45 countries participated in the Competition, which offered the students the unique opportunity to improve their knowledge of international criminal law and meet experts in the field.
Dr Mark Ellis, IBA Executive Director, commented, 'The IBA continues to be committed to providing young lawyers with opportunities to learn and develop. One way we do this is through the IBA ICC Moot Court Competition and the educational and networking opportunities this provides. As the ICC faces attacks and threats for its work, the IBA continues to promote understanding of the Court's mandate and its place in the international legal order. Students who come to The Hague for the Competition leave with a greater understanding of international law and their critical role in preserving it.'
On 17 June 2025, during a ceremony where Dr Carsten Stahn and Maria F Jaramillo Gomez delivered remarks, awards were presented in recognition of several accomplishments including for the best memorial; the best oral presenter of the preliminary rounds; the best non-native English-speaking team; and the best newcomer team. Additionally, the IBA Spirit of the Competition Award was given to a team that demonstrated exceptional commitment and fully embodied the ideals of the Competition.
IBA ICC & ICL Programme Director, Kate Orlovsky commented: 'Impressively participants have shown an exceptional level of knowledge of ICC law and jurisprudence, as well as outstanding advocacy skills. Whether these students go on to practice at the ICC or in their home jurisdiction, they will take with them this expertise, and the connections and friendships formed during this week. We are very proud to support this event, which has the potential to be life-changing for its participants, and world-changing, through further embedding the respect for the rule of law that lies at the heart of the Rome Statute system.'
Other highlights from the week-long Competition
- 11 June: ICC Judge Kimberly Prost gave the opening address at the start of the Moot Court. She reflected on the Competition's vision to strengthen international criminal law through cooperation and education, underscoring the responsibility of the next generation to carry that mission forward.
- 11 June (and other dates): Study visits for students to the Permanent Court of Arbitration , the ICC and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers .
12 June: A panel discussion titled 'Arresting Suspects of International Crimes' examined the role of international criminal tribunals and the ICC in the tracking and arrest of suspects. Specifically discussed: the essential tools required for successfully tracking and arresting suspects; the primary challenges involved in these efforts; and the measures needed to ensure the effective execution of international arrest warrants. Dr Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals gave the keynote address. Panellists included: Dr Ellis, Ms Kimberly West, Specialist Prosecutor at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor's Office in The Hague, Netherlands ; Dr Rod Rastan, Chief of the Judicial Cooperation Support Section at the ICC Registry ; and Ms Julie Bardeche, Senior Legal Advisor at Redress . Ms Kate Orlovsky moderated.
- 16 June: The Grotius Centre hosted the academic event 'Prosecuting Russian Environmental War Crimes' as part of the Benjamin Ferencz Lecture Series , in cooperation with the TMC Asser Institute and the Coalition for the ICC . Amongst the distinguished speakers was HE Andriy Kostin, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Mr Maksym Popov, Expert of the EU Project Pravo-Justice ; Margaret M DeGuzman, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Institute for International Law and Public Policy at Temple University Beasley School of Law ; Professor Michael Scharf, Chair of the IBA ICC Moot Court Competition, who served as former Dean of Case Western Reserve University School of Law; Milena Sterio, Distinguished University Professor at CSU Law and Managing Director at the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG); Mr Andre Monette, Council Member of the IBA Section on Energy, Environment, Resources and Infrastructure ; and Dr Paul Williams, President of the PPILPG.
Preparation for the 2026 Moot Court is underway, which will again tackle key issues and current developments in international criminal law.
