B6104 - International Criminal Court Moot Trial (The Nuremberg Moot Court

Learning outcomes

1. The seminar will prepare the five students selected as members of the Unibo Team to compete before the Nuremberg Moot Court. The Nuremberg Moot Court is an international competition, held in English in Nuremberg, Germany. University teams from all over the world are invited to argue a fictitious case before the "International Criminal Court" during the competition. A moot court is a simulated court proceeding which invites students of law to compete based on their oral and written legal argumentation and presentation, from both the prosecution and defence positions. Dissecting both complex procedural and substantive issues of international criminal law, students are given the unique opportunity to develop their skills and plead at the historic Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, where the Nuremberg trials against the major Nazi war criminals took place. The International Military Tribunal held the Nuremberg trials from 1945 to 1949. They resulted in the recognition of the Nuremberg Principles, which ultimately led to the creation of the International Criminal Court. This location allows students to practice international criminal law at its very birthplace, offering both a historical and educational experience. The organisers of the Nuremberg Moot Court are the International Nuremberg Principles Academy and the International Criminal Law Research Unit at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. Further information about the Moot Court can be found at: https://www.nuremberg-moot.de/index.php?id=283.

Course contents

NECESSARY SKILLS

Since the entire competition is conducted in English, students are expected to have a good command of both written and spoken English. In addition, they should possess a basic knowledge of criminal procedure (including domestic criminal procedure) as well as a basic understanding of the procedural framework of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A short introductory text in Italian covering these topics is available on the University's Virtuale platform. Students who do not read Italian will be provided, through the same platform, with equivalent readings in English to help them prepare for the course.

 

COURSE CONTENTS

The course follows the different stages of the Nuremberg Moot Court. Based on the experience of previous editions, the members of the Bologna Team will generally be selected by the end of December. In January, the Team will first prepare a letter of introduction to the Nuremberg Academy. Once the case file is released (usually at the end of January), work will begin on analysing the case and developing both the prosecution and defence strategies.

By the end of March or the beginning of April, the written memorials for both the Prosecution and the Defence must be submitted. At the end of May or the beginning of June, the Nuremberg Academy will announce the teams selected to participate in the final rounds, which are held in person in Nuremberg, usually at the end of July.

The course consists of a series of meetings between the instructors and the Team, aimed at developing the legal strategy for each issue raised by the case and supervising the written memorials prepared by the students. If the Team qualifies for the final rounds, the last phase of the course will focus on preparing the oral pleadings before the Nuremberg Moot Court, through dedicated coaching sessions and mock hearings.

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the materials uploaded to the University's Virtuale platform, students will work with the case problems prepared by the Nuremberg Moot Court, which will also be made available through the Virtuale platform.

Teaching methods

The course adopts a practice-oriented teaching approach aimed at preparing the written submissions and oral pleadings for both the Prosecution and the Defence. Should the Team qualify for the final rounds of the competition, the course will also focus on preparing the oral presentation of the case before the Nuremberg Moot Court.

Assessment methods

Assessment is carried out on a continuous basis through the monitoring of the students' work during the different stages of the Nuremberg Moot Court. Evaluation is based on the quality of each student's contribution to the preparation of the case, active participation in the meetings, and the drafting of the written submissions. Should the Team qualify for the final rounds of the competition, the assessment will also take into account the preparation and delivery of the oral pleadings.

Given the practice-oriented and highly interactive nature of the course, the assessment criteria are discussed with the students throughout the course, ensuring transparency and continuous feedback on their progress.

 

Teaching tools

In addition to the instructors, the course is supported by a tutor with specific expertise in the preparation of international moot court competitions, who assists the Team throughout the various stages of the project.

Office hours

See the website of Michele Caianiello

See the website of Giulia Lasagni