A team of Bond University law students has won an international mooting competition, defeating competitors from 94 universities worldwide.
The Bond team of Laila Chequer de Souza, Kathleen Trafford, Lachlan Croser and Fletcher O’Connell triumphed in the English edition of the International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition.
The final was held at The Hague in the Netherlands where teams from 48 countries competed before the International Criminal Court in a mock appeal hearing.
The Bond team represented different parties throughout the competition, arguing legal issues around jurisdiction, immunity and procedure.
The final was a simulated appeal before the ICC in the fictional case The Prosecutor versus Droganna Syrax, involving alleged crimes in the fictional country of Essus.
Bond represented the Government of Merine in the final, with other teams acting as lawyers for the prosecution and the defence.
A key issue was whether the sitting President of Merine, a country that is not signatory to the ICC, could be prosecuted.
Bond, representing the Government of Merine, together with counsel for the defence, argued that she was protected by head of state immunity. The prosecution countered by arguing that the ICC rules allow for prosecution regardless of the accused's official position.
The court also had to consider whether it could even hear the case, as the accused had been illegally abducted and brought to The Hague. The prosecution argued that it could.
Bond University's Assistant Professor Lisa Bonin said the result reflected nine months of preparation, supported by staff, alumni and peers.
"We could not have done it without everyone who supported the team along their journey to The Hague," she said.
The judges, led by ICC Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze, commended all teams for their courtroom performance.
"I do believe, as a judge of the ICC, that international justice has a future,” he said. “The ICC has a future, and that future is you."
The Bond team was also recognised as the second runner-up prosecution team, with Laila Chequer de Souza taking home the award for runner-up best speaker for the prosecution.
Fletcher O'Connell's performance as defence counsel was instrumental in advancing the team through the quarter-finals.
Teams from the National Law School of India University and Singapore Management University finished in second and third place. Best Speaker was Ayesha Khan from the National Law School of India University.
The competition was organised by the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University and the International Bar Association.
ICC Moot Court Competitions are organised in English, Spanish, French and Chinese. View videos of the final here and here.