Oxford Team emerges Runner-up of the ELSA Human Rights Moot Court Competition

Oxford’s team comprising Ms Claire Gerrand (BA in Jurisprudence, Worcester), Mr Mohamed Ameer Ismail (BCL, Merton), Ms Petra Stojnic (BA in Jurisprudence, Merton) and Mr Rahul Sunil Bajaj (MPhil in Law, Linacre) emerged the Runner-up Team in the Final Round of the 8th ELSA Human Rights Moot Court Competition 2020. Mr Bajaj also bagged the Best Orator award for the Grand Final, the Semi-Final and the Quarter-Final rounds. The team was coached by Ms Gayathree Kalliyat Thazhathuveetil (MPhil in Law, Somerville).

The moot simulates the experience of pleading a case before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and is organized by the European Law Students’ Association with the support of the Council of Europe. The fictitious problem for the 2020 edition concerned alleged violations of the right to life under Article 2, the right against degrading treatment under Article 3, the right to a fair trial under Article 6, the right to respect for one’s home under Article 8 and the right to an effective remedy under Article 13. It broadly dealt with the application of the European Convention on Human Rights to military operations.

The Oxonian team first competed in the Western Regional Round held in January 2020 in the University of Nottingham and progressed to the Final Round held virtually in June 2020. They competed against 68 teams at the Virtual Final Round and argued the case before a mix of academics and practitioners with experience and expertise in international human rights law.

Read ELSA’s final report on the moot here.