The Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition is a Europe-wide moot court competition dedicated to the European Convention on Human Rights. It was founded in 2012 by the European Law Students' Association (ELSA) and the Council of Europe. The Competition was named after the first female judge at the European Court of Human Rights, Helga Pedersen.
The Competition simulates the proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights based on a fictional case. This year's case deals, inter alia, with an alleged violation of the right to freedom of expression and discrimination on the ground of expressing an opinion. The Competition gives students a unique opportunity to gain practical experience comparable to real pleading in front of the European Court of Human Rights.
The registration of teams for the 12th edition of the Competition is now open until the 30th of October 2023 23:59 CET. The Competition consists of three phases: the written round, the regional oral rounds and the final oral round. Each team needs to submit two written memorials in December 2023: one on behalf of the applicant, and one on behalf of the respondent state. In February 2024, each team participates in one of the three regional oral rounds, organized in three different cities (Ankara, St. Gallen and Dublin). The best 18 teams from the regional rounds compete in the final oral round, taking place in May 2024 in the Palace of Europe and at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In addition to the experience that students gain from the Competition, every team member of the winning team is invited for a traineeship at the Court in Strasbourg.
More information about the Competition can be found here.
Good luck to all those participating in this year’s Competition!
