Australia’s Bond University has won the 13th International Bar Association (IBA) International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition following a week of intense advocacy and legal argument before international criminal law experts. The annual competition, hosted in The Hague, is organised by the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University in partnership with the IBA.

This year, the National Law School of India University was runner-up and Singapore Management University secured third place. The Best Speaker Award was presented to Ayesha Khan of National Law School of India University.

IBA President Claudio Visco remarked: ‘On behalf of the IBA, I warmly congratulate Bond University on winning the 2026 IBA International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition. This achievement reflects not only exceptional legal knowledge and advocacy skills, but also the dedication, teamwork and professionalism required to succeed at the highest level of international legal education. Most importantly, I commend every student who participated in this year’s competition.

At a time when the international legal order faces significant challenges, initiatives such as this competition play a vital role in fostering critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding and a commitment to the rule of law. Through their participation, these students have engaged with some of the most complex issues in international criminal justice while building professional relationships that transcend borders.

The IBA is proud to partner with the ICC and the Grotius Centre in supporting a competition that develops advocacy and legal skills as well as inspires future leaders who will contribute to the pursuit of justice around the world. The dedication and excellence displayed by all participants this year gives us great confidence in the future of the legal profession.’

Bringing together more than 550 students from 94 teams representing 48 countries, the 2026 competition reaffirmed its position as the world’s largest English-language simulation of ICC proceedings. Participants assumed the roles of prosecution, defence and victims’ counsel, presenting written and oral arguments on complex issues of international criminal law.

Over the course of the Moot Court week, participating teams took part in several oral rounds after progressing through a rigorous written memorial phase evaluated by legal experts from around the world. The final round took place in the ICC courtroom with an ICC judge and legal officers.

Recognising excellence

On 18 June, the Competition’s awards ceremony celebrated the exceptional advocacy, legal analysis and professionalism demonstrated by participants throughout the competition. In addition to the overall competition awards, students and teams were recognised with IBA awards for outstanding achievements across a range of categories, including:

• Best Speaker of the Preliminary Rounds: Klara Tebbe, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam
• Best Overall Memorial: Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur 
• Spirit of the Competition Award: Crescent University, Abeokuta
• Best Newcomer Team: Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur 
• First Runner-up of the IBA Award for Best Newcomer Team:  Universidad de Buenos Aires - Facultad de Derecho, Buenos Aires 
• Second Runner-up of the IBA Award for Best Newcomer Team: Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan 
• Third Runner-up of the IBA Award for Best Newcomer Team: Haigazian University, Beirut 

A truly global learning experience

The Competition attracted students from regions all around the world. More than 400 legal professionals served as judges and evaluators, providing participants with direct engagement with leading practitioners and experts in international law.

Five IBA scholarships enabled teams from the French University in Armenia, the São Paulo Law School of Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil, Strathmore University in Kenya, the Bahria University Islamabad Campus in Pakistan and the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines to participate, further strengthening the Competition’s commitment to global inclusion and access.

The 2026 case, The Prosecutor v Droganna Syrax, Situation in the State of Essuss, challenged students to address contemporary issues including individual criminal responsibility for war crimes, head-of-state immunity and the legal consequences of unlawful arrest.

Opening the Competition

On 12 June, the Competition opened with a ceremony featuring remarks from Diana Eggleston, the Special Envoy City of Peace and Justice for The Hague Municipality; Carsten Stahn, Professor of International Criminal Law and Global Justice at Leiden University and Chair of the IBA ICC Moot Court Competition Organizing Committee; and Professor Michael P Scharf, Associate Dean for Global Legal Studies at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and Chair of the IBA ICC Moot Court Competition Board of Advisors.

Delivering the keynote address, ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler encouraged participants to meet contemporary challenges with determination and conviction, emphasising the important role the next generation of lawyers will play in advancing international justice and the rule of law. He said: ‘We must all seek to meet the unprecedented challenges before us with unrelenting energy and conviction. Your aspirations and careers matter, and as the future of international law, you too are called to stand firm.’

Academic and professional engagement

Alongside the competition rounds, participants attended academic and networking events exploring current developments in international criminal justice.

A key highlight was the IBA-hosted panel discussion, ‘Ensuring Accountability for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine’, which brought together leading international experts to discuss progress toward the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and broader efforts to strengthen accountability under international law.

Participants also attended a side event on ‘International Criminal Justice and AI: Hype, Game-changer or New Normal?’ and took part in networking and social activities designed to foster international collaboration and professional connections among future legal practitioners.

As the 2026 edition concluded, the Organizing Committee had already begun preparations for the 2027 competition, continuing its mission to develop future leaders in international law through practical engagement with the most pressing legal issues of our time.

ENDS

Contact: IBApressoffice@int-bar.org

Notes to the reader

1. The 13th IBA ICC Moot Court Competition took place from 12–19 June 2026. The Competition consists of a written round and an oral round. Participating teams submit written memorials that are assessed by external expert evaluators, in advance of the final rounds of the competition, which take place in The Hague, Netherlands.

2. The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, it was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world's bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.

3. The International Criminal Court (ICC) ​investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. The Court is participating in a global fight to end impunity, and through international criminal justice, the Court aims to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes and to help prevent these crimes from happening again. ​​The Court cannot reach these goals alone. As a court of last resort, it seeks to complement, not replace, national courts. Governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute, the ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court.

4. The Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies is the Public International Law Department of Leiden University. It brings together over 30 scholars from around the globe to collectively investigate the boundaries of public international law. With offices in both Leiden and The Hague, the Grotius Centre provides a diverse selection of general and specialised undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the field of international law.

5. The IBA commenced the International Criminal Court and International Criminal Law (ICC & ICL) Programme in 2005. Since its establishment, the IBA ICC & ICL Programme has contributed to the development of international criminal justice through monitoring and analysing issues related to fairness and equality of arms at the ICC, and through conducting outreach to deepen the understanding of the place of the ICC within the broader landscape of international justice and in particular contexts. Based in The Hague, the IBA ICC & ICL Programme consults and engages with court officials, state representatives, civil society organisations, academics and international lawyers.

For further information, please contact:

Kate Orlovsky
Director, Hague Office
International Bar Association
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Email: kate.orlovsky@int-bar.org
Website: www.ibanet.org

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