NaUKMA Faculty of Law team wins Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition 2026 in Strasbourg
The Faculty of Law team from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) achieved an outstanding victory in the final of the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition 2026, one of Europe’s most prestigious student competitions in human rights law.
The Final Oral Rounds took place in Strasbourg from 1 to 5 June 2026. In the decisive final, the NaUKMA team defeated the team from the Faculty of Law at Maastricht University, becoming the champions of the competition’s 14th edition.
A particularly remarkable achievement was that NaUKMA students won all Best Oralist awards across the different stages of the competition — the preliminary rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. This exceptional result demonstrates the students’ strong legal knowledge, outstanding oral advocacy skills, and effective teamwork.
The Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition is organised by the Council of Europe and the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA). The competition simulates proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), providing students with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and develop their skills in legal research, written advocacy, and oral argumentation.
This year, the competition brought together 18 university teams from 13 European countries. Participants worked on a complex hypothetical case addressing some of the most pressing challenges in contemporary law: combating criminal activity in cyberspace, the use of artificial intelligence tools in the administration of justice, and safeguarding the right to a fair trial.
The final was held in the Grand Chamber courtroom of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Ukrainian team’s victory highlighted the high standards of legal education in Ukraine and the ability of NaUKMA law students to compete successfully at the international level.
During the award ceremony, Mykola Tochytskyi, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council of Europe, congratulated the participants and commended the Ukrainian team for its professionalism, compelling legal arguments, and outstanding representation of Ukraine within the European legal community.
We warmly congratulate the team and its coaches on this exceptional achievement! This victory is not only a major success for the University but also an important contribution to the international recognition of Ukrainian legal education and a new generation of human rights professionals.
