After taking home a victory in the regional final in Bucharest this February, the University of Luxembourg team participated in the semi-final rounds of the European Law Moot Court competition via Zoom on 10 July.
The team consisted of law students Maria Josefina Mao Cheia Carreira (arguing as defendant), Marina Tsikintikou (arguing as applicant), Yannick Junior Gbalou (legal counsel) and Francisco Hernández Fernández (Commission Representative). The team is coached by Marie Gerardy and Pavlina Hubkova and the overseeing professor is Prof. Eleftheria Neframi.
The case, “The Most Magnificent Order of the Cassowary v. Kingdom of Antares” required teams to apply European law principles to disagreements between a fictitious State (the defendant) and a minority religious community (the applicant).
During the semi-final competition, the team competed in the applicant position against the University of Vienna. Unfortunately, while the Luxembourg team did not make it to the final round, they finished in the top 4 of all teams worldwide.
The European Law Moot Court competition is one of the most prestigious and important Moot courts worldwide. Finals are held each year at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, and teams are evaluated by the European Court judges. Organised by The European Law Moot Court Society, the competition allows students to improve their legal skills while sharing and reinforcing the values of the European Union.
Prof. Katerina Pantazatou, Moot Court Programme Coordinator, commended the team, “My warmest congratulations go to the team for their commitment, extraordinary improvement and for placing the University of Luxembourg among the best teams in the world.”
The team and coaches pictured from left to right: Marie Gerardy, Marina Tsikintikou, Yannick Junior Gbalou, Maria Josefina Mao Cheia Carreira, Pavlina Hubkova