RUMLAE Congratulates Ms. Emma Colovic and Ms. Evelyn Vincin Walker on their International IHL Mooting Achievement

Emma and Evelyn were representing the University of Adelaide after winning the Australian National IHL Mooting competition that was held last year in Hobart.

The International IHL Moot competition was held over 4 days and included 24 teams from across the Asia-Pacific region. Most of the teams participating in Hong Kong had been national champions in their respective national competitions and it is a testament to Emma and Evelyn's talent and legal acumen that they made their way through several very competitive rounds of mooting to reach the Grand Final. Emma and Evelyn’s final moot was against the team from Singapore Management University and they put in a brilliant effort: in fact, it was noted by the judges that it was a very close-run outcome. In addition to winning the Runners Up trophy for the competition, the team was awarded the best Defence Memorial and third best Prosecution Memorial. Equally impressive was Evelyn winning the prize for the third best overall speaker in the preliminary rounds.

This year’s problem considered the pressing issues of cyber and technological warfare through questions of proportionality, distinction, and fundamental liberties. Teams were challenged with defining armed attacks in an ever-changing military landscape, as well as answering the major question of to whom fault should be attributed for the use of autonomous weapons systems which result in outcomes contrary to IHL.

The University of Adelaide team was very grateful for the expertise of Mr Mark Giddings (a partner at LK Law and a former world champion IHL mooter himself) who was the team coach and accompanied the team to Hong Kong.

The University of Adelaide Law School has enjoyed considerable success in this field. In the past 12 years that the IHL and Advocacy subject has been taught, five teams from the Law School have won the National IHL Moot competition and two of those have gone on to win the International Championship. Now — thanks to Emma and Evelyn — the Law School can add an impressive Runners Up Trophy to a very full cabinet shelf.