B5546 - SEM.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

The seminar focuses on the preparation of the case that is prepared by the Nuremberg Academy every January.

Students have to prepare one case for prosecution and one for defence, starting from the same outline published by the Nuremberg Academy.

Readings/Bibliography

There are no pre-arranged texts. Any texts will be indicated in the light of the track published by the Nuremberg Academy.

It is necessary to have attended a course in international criminal law (including elements of procedure).

Teaching methods

There are no lectures. Meetings between the students, team members and the supervising lecturers are identified both shortly before and after the publication of the track by the Nuremberg Academy.

Some meetings are also organised online, if this is necessary in light of the deadline for submitting written papers for participation in the Moot Court.

The intention of the teachers is to encourage the students who make up the team to develop cases for prosecution and defence. The aim is to empower and assist students in making the final strategic decisions, and in identifying the legal arguments to be cultivated for participation in Moot Court. The final decision, however, are up to the student members of the team.

Assessment methods

The assessment takes into account the students' commitment. In particular, account will be taken of

- the competence shown by the students in reasoning about the legal issues raised by the track published by the Nuremberg Academy;

- the ability to work as part of a team, valuing and supporting fellow students;

- the seriousness and accuracy in meeting the deadlines, both internal and imposed by the Nuremberg Academy, for participation in the mock trial.

Teaching tools

In addition to lectures, readings of academic papers and case law decisions will be given from time to time. A tutor will follow the work of the team alongside the supervising teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Michele Caianiello

See the website of Giulia Lasagni