The 5th International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition

The competition is built on the Moot Court model, which has long been widely held around the world to create conditions for students to experience the role of litigators in court. The International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition has been an annual activity since 2012, held in rotation at universities across the country with participating teams such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Law or the Diplomatic Academy, with professional support from the International Red Cross Office in Vietnam.

Competition judges

In this year’s competition, 07 teams from 05 universities were placed in a round-robin competition with two roles as the plaintiff and the defendant, through three major rounds to select the overall winning team. The teams played the role of litigators, preparing documents, files, and arguments to defend before a panel of judges (reputable legal experts) on legal issues in a “hypothetical” lawsuit.

The content of the case in this year's competition is about the application of International Humanitarian Law in the event of an armed conflict. In the context of many hot spots of conflict in the world today, it is necessary to study and resolve them from a legal perspective.

On November 10, 2017, after 7 rounds, the Organizing Committee selected 4 teams with the highest total scores to enter the next round taking place on November 11: Team of University of Economics and Law (VNU-HCM); Team of Diplomatic Academy 1; Team of University of Law HCMC 1; Team of University of Law HCMC 2.

The final round took place between two teams from Ho Chi Minh City University of Law. And the final results were as follows:
1. First prize: Ho Chi Minh City University of Law Team 2
2. Second Prize: Ho Chi Minh City University of Law Team 1
3. Best Argument: Ho Chi Minh City University of Law Team 1
4. Best defense: Diplomatic Academy Team 1
5. Best Debater: Lawyer 1, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law Team 2
The competition is a good opportunity for students to practice their English speaking, presentation and public speaking skills, and gain experience in solving legal problems. The first prize-winning team from Ho Chi Minh City Law University 2 will represent Vietnamese students in the international competition held in Hong Kong next year.

At the closing ceremony of the competition, representatives of the Red Cross Office in Vietnam and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - the organizers of the Competition, presented souvenirs to the teams as well as the Jury and volunteers.