Singapore Management University Wins 2025 ICC Moot Court Competition

The Singapore Management University (SMU) has emerged victorious in the English edition of this year’s International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition, held in Courtroom III at the ICC’s headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.

SMU outperformed 85 other universities from across 45 countries in a contest that tested legal advocacy in a simulated international criminal trial. The final round saw the Ateneo de Manila University – School of Law from the Philippines and Germany’s Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn take second and third place respectively.

Nikita Alyanna Cordova from Ateneo de Manila University was named Best Speaker of the competition, earning individual distinction for her outstanding oral advocacy.

Presided over by ICC Judge Bertram Schmitt, the competition required students to argue a fictional case while assuming the roles of Prosecutor, Defence Counsel, and Legal Representatives of Victims.

Representing the winning team from SMU were Lea Yeo Jen Wen, Justin Chew, Dewi Sabrina Husnan, Timothy Cheng Zhi Wen, Wong Zi Yang, and Elsa Shalina Abdullah.

The event, broadcast live on the ICC’s website and Facebook page, is part of the ICC’s broader academic outreach efforts. Organized by the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University and the International Bar Association, the Moot Court Competition aims to cultivate a deeper understanding of international criminal law and the workings of the ICC.

Held annually in multiple languages—including English, Spanish, French, and Chinese—the ICC Moot Court fosters global engagement with the Court’s mission and promotes legal excellence among future international law practitioners. Plans are underway to expand the competition to include Arabic in future editions.