Represented by Teriza Mir, Jaz Cremen and Jacqueline Stark, and coached by Dr Daley Birkett, Macquarie University was one of 32 universities from 22 countries to progress to the final in Nuremberg, Germany. The competition started with 125 teams.
Macquarie University impressed the high-profile judging panel with their legal judgement and professionalism to progress through five rounds and into the grand final, where they narrowly fell short to Strathmore University, Kenya.
“Reaching the final of the Nuremberg Moot Court is an outstanding achievement,” says Dr Birkett. “What renders it all the more admirable is that the team did so in an extracurricular setting. The students’ success brings immense credit to Macquarie University, Macquarie Law School and its mooting community – faculty and alumni – and, of course, to the participants themselves. Congratulations, Jacqueline, Jaz and Teriza.”
Holding court: Macquarie Law School students Teriza Mir, Jacqueline Stark and Jaz Cremen placed second in the Nuremberg Moot Court 2023.
In the final round, Macquarie represented the defence where they argued a fictional case about intentional attacks against cultural heritage.
The international bench was made up of high-profile judges, prosecutors and academics. Judge Bertram Schmitt, Judge at the International Criminal Court and former Judge at the Federal Court of Justice of Germany, presided in the finals.
Macquarie University’s skills and expertise were commended throughout the competition. In addition to coming second, Ms Stark was also honoured with the prestigious award for Best Speaker, a testament to her eloquence and mastery of legal advocacy. Judge Schmitt also commented that this was the best moot he had seen in the past four years.
“We had an amazing time participating in this year’s Nuremberg Moot Court Competition,” says Ms Stark. “Mooting in Nuremberg – at the birthplace of modern international criminal law – against teams from five different continents and in front of prominent legal professionals was such a valuable experience.
“We are incredibly grateful to the support of our coach Dr Daley Birkett, [Dean of the Macquarie Law School] Professor Lise Barry and the Macquarie Law School, and the Michael Kirby and Johan van Vloten Scholarship Fund for their assistance in getting us to Nuremberg. This has been a highlight of our degrees, and we would not have been able to do it without them.”
The Nuremberg Moot Court invites teams from all over the world to argue a fictitious case before the ‘International Criminal Court’. Students are given the unique opportunity to develop their skills and plead at the historic Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, where the Nuremberg trials against the major Nazi war criminals took place in 1945-46.
