International law competition bodes well for future<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A team from Pelita Harapan University, representing the imaginary
\nRepublic of Appolonia, took its turn on Saturday before the
\nInternational Moot Court, organized at the Santika Hotel in
\nJakarta, accusing the Kingdom of Ragland of scuttling the Mairi
\nMaru, an Appolonian-flagged vessel that sank in Ragland's waters.<\/p>\n
To challenge the motion, the University of Indonesia's team,
\nrepresenting the kingdom, said the republic violated
\ninternational law by transporting nuclear substances without
\nnotifying the kingdom.<\/p>\n
\"Your excellency, Appolonia violated international law by
\ntransporting MOX (mixed oxide fuel) through Ragland's waters
\nwithout permission,\" said Leonardo Bernadd, the first speaker for
\nthe UI team.<\/p>\n
He said: \"This act is prohibited under the London Convention
\non the Prevention of Marine Pollution, 1972, and the Basel
\nConvention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
\nWastes and their Disposal, 1989.\"<\/p>\n
Bernadd and his four teammates led UI to victory at the 4th
\nIndonesian National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International
\nLaw Moot Court Competition, held from Friday to Sunday. The event
\nwas organized by the Indonesian Society for International Law.<\/p>\n
The UI team has won the national event four times in a row and
\nhas represented Indonesia in the international round since 2000.<\/p>\n
The international round is the next phase the champion, where
\nmore than 90 countries compete in Washington, DC. Indonesia
\nplaced 10th in the last international round.<\/p>\n
In addition to awarding the UI team the championship, the
\njudges, prominent international law experts and practitioners,
\ngranted the Best Memorial Pleading to Padjajaran University, the
\nBest Oralist to Tiza Mafira of the UI team and the Spirit of
\nJessup for improved performance to Pelita Harapan University.<\/p>\n
Adhika, the spokesperson for the organizer, said the
\ncompetition was aimed at building awareness among Indonesian
\npeople of the importance of international law.<\/p>\n
\"We want this competition used as a forum for practicing
\ninternational law, which many Indonesian law students have never
\nexperienced,\" Adhika, a law student at the University of
\nIndonesia, said.<\/p>\n
Ten law schools, mainly from Java, sent teams to the
\ncompetition.<\/p>\n
A law student from Padjajaran University in Bandung, West
\nJava, Iqbal Siri, said the competition was considered an
\nimportant event for law students, especially for those who were
\nfocused on international law.<\/p>\n
One of the judges, Robert Baiton, said the competition made
\nhim optimistic Indonesia would produce top international law
\nexperts in the future.<\/p>\n
\"The potential shown by the participants here is impressive.
\nThere will be super-qualified international law experts coming
\nfrom this country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Baiton, a legal expert from Australia, also said Indonesians
\nin the future would be able to defend their country's interests
\nin the International Court of Justice (ICJ).<\/p>\n
Indonesia lost the Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in
\n2002 when the ICJ ruled that Malaysia was entitled to the
\nislands. The result of that case caused concern that the
\ncountry's international law experts might not have the capacity
\nto defend Indonesia in international courts.<\/p>\n
\"Last time, in the case of Sipadan and Ligitan, the Indonesian
\ngovernment hired many foreigners to assist them in facing the
\ncourt. In the future, Indonesians will be able to do it by
\nthemselves,\" Baiton said.(006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/international-law-competition-bodes-well-for-future-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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