Four students of the law Faculty of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), have won the Best Regional Team of Africa Award at the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition held in The Hague, Netherlands from Friday 2 to Friday 9 June 2023.

“The Grotius Centre for international Legal Studies hereby certifies that the team representing Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, won the award for the best regional team of Africa in the IBA ICC moot court competition 2023” the certificate awarded to the team and signed by Professor Carsten Stahn, chair of organizing committee and Professor Michael Scharf, Chair of the board of advisors read.

Faculty message

A message posted on the Facebook wall of the GIMPA law faculty on the award read, “Congratulations to the GIMPA Law Moot Court Team comprising the following students: Dzigbordi Agbenyo, Abigail Anyormi, Obed Owusu and Laura Edwards for winning the Best Regional Team of Africa Award at the ICC Moot Court Competition in The Hague, Netherlands”.

“Congratulations to the Faculty of Law's Moot Court and Clinical Legal Education Committee for preparing the team and serving as coaches: Dr. Enam Antonio (Chairperson), Dr. Kwabena Oteng Acheampong, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, Dr. Isidore Tufuor & Mr. Lom Nuku Ahlijah.

The GIMPA law faculty disclosed that the team was assisted by a former GIMPA Law student (now a lawyer), Daniel Odonkor, who volunteered to travel with the team to help coach them from his own resources.

The IBA ICC Moot Court

The Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies proudly presents the IBA International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition, taking place annually in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The IBA ICC Moot Court Competition welcomes universities from all over the world for a large-scale moot court simulating the proceedings of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Competition consists of an extensive six-day educational and social program, which brings together students of diverse backgrounds and cultures to The Hague to challenge their skills as future international lawyers. The final round is expected to take place in an actual ICC courtroom with ICC judges adjudicating. The establishment of the world’s first International Criminal Court provided a fantastic opportunity to further support the rule of international law and the fight against impunity by garnering a youth-led interest.

The Competition involves collaboration with judges from international courts and tribunals, professors of international (criminal) law, and other legal professionals. This network makes the ICC Moot Court Competition a realistic simulation of ICC proceedings.

The Competition’s case addresses fundamental issues of substantive and procedural international criminal law. The Competition was founded in 2004 at Pace Law School (White Plains, NY).

Based upon the success of what was originally created as an in-class exercise by Prof. Matthew Brotmann and Prof. Gayl Westerman, the moot was expanded to an invited list of schools in 2005. The following year the ICC Moot was opened up to law schools from around the world. Pace Law School continues to host the Regional Round of the Americas.

In 2021, the Grotius Centre consolidated their partnership with the IBA by signing a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding which positions the IBA as the primary supporting partner of the event.