Telders: forming the team

The Telders International Law Moot Court Competition passed its 30th milestone in 2007, and is still going strong. Since its humble beginnings in 1977, when only four universities took part, the Competition has today become the most prestigious and important moot court competition in Europe. Annually, teams from over 40 universities compete in the national rounds, with the successfully teams going on to represent their countries in the international rounds held at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Through the Competition students are educated in legal practice and such principles as the rule of law, civil society and fair play. The Competition also stimulates team-work and European integration. Students and academics consider participation important, a great honour and a wonderful experience of a friendly and international competition never to be forgotten. Each year student-teams are presented with a case involving a fictitious dispute between two states. This dispute is put before the United Nations' most important legal organ, the International Court of Justice. It is up to the student-teams to defend the two states to the best of their ability. Each student-team has to represent the states substantively both in writing and through pleadings before so-called moot courts. Per European country, only the university winning the national rounds may participate in the international rounds held in The Hague. The students' memorials and pleadings are judged by legal experts. In this respect, the active involvement of judges from the real International Court of Justice, the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, professors of law and ambassadors schooled in international law guarantee the high intellectual standards of the Competition and its prestige. The Competition is traditionally held at the Peace Palace in The Hague.