| Established | 1993 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Varies |
| Subject matter | Space law |
| Class | Grand Slam [1] [2] [3] |
| Record participation | 92 teams (2021) |
| Qualification | National and regional rounds |
| Most championships | George Washington University (3) National Law School of India University (3) |
| Website | https://www.mootcourt.iislweb.space/ |
The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition or Lachs Space Moot is a space law moot competition organised by the International Institute of Space Law. The competition is named after Manfred Lachs, a former judge of the International Court of Justice. It is the oldest student competition in the area of space law, with the first edition of the moot taking place in 1993. In recent years the moot has been held during the International Astronautical Congress and Colloquium of the IISL.
As the class-leading moot in its field and given its scale, the Lachs Moot is considered one of the major or grand slam moots. [4] [5] In 2011, another space law moot came about, organised by the International Air & Space Law Academy. [6] It is a different moot that is much smaller in scale, [7] and has since become defunct.
In addition to national rounds for certain countries, five regional competitions have been held for the Lachs Moot to date—Africa (introduced in 2012), Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America (introduced in 2021), and North America—with the winners of each region proceeding to the world or international finals at a venue that changes every year (depending on where the International Astronautical Congress is held); the world championship round is typically judged by three sitting ICJ judges. [8] [9] For a period of time, the regional and world rounds were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In each oral round of the moot there is an applicant and a respondent, and each side is represented by two counsel (of counsel cannot be seated together). Each team also has to submit written memorials for both sides. These memorials are re-evaluated during the world rounds.
| Year | Number of teams (excluding national rounds) | World champion (win number) | Runner-up (win number) | Semi-finalist(s) | Best Oralist (win number) | Best Memorials (win number) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||||||
| 2024 [10] | 90 | Asia: Singapore Management University (1) | Europe: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (3) | * North America: McGill University * Latin America: National Autonomous University of Mexico | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (3) | Singapore Management University (1) |
| 2023 [11] | 73 | Asia: China University of Political Science and Law (1) | Europe: University of Cologne (1) | * Africa: University of Calabar * Latin America: National Autonomous University of Mexico | University of Cologne (1) | China University of Political Science and Law (1) |
| 2022 (online) [12] | 81 | Europe: Leiden University (3) | North America: George Washington University (2) | * Africa: Midlands State University * Asia: West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences | George Washington University (1) | Leiden University (2) |
| 2021 (online) [13] | 92 | Europe: The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (1) | Asia: National Law School of India University (1) | * Africa: University of Pretoria * North America: | National Law School of India University (3) | National Law School of India University (3) |
| 2020 (online) [14] | Asia: National Law University, Delhi (2) | Europe: University of Vienna (1) | * Africa: University of Pretoria * North America: Georgetown University | University of Vienna (1) | University of Vienna (1) | |
| 2019 [15] [16] | 69 | Europe: University of Ljubljana (1) | Africa: University of Calabar (1) | * Asia: National University of Singapore * North America: McGill University | University of Calabar (1) | McGill University (3) |
| 2018 [17] | 77 | Africa: University of Pretoria (1) | Asia: Symbiosis Law School (1) | * North America: Louisiana State University * Europe: Belarusian State University | University of Pretoria (1) | Belarusian State University (1) |
| 2017 [18] | 74 | Asia: National Law School of India University (3) | North America: University of Mississippi (1) | * Africa: University of Pretoria * Europe: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | University of Mississippi (1) | National Law School of India University (2) |
| 2016 [19] | 66 | Europe: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1) | Africa: Obafemi Awolowo University (1) | * Asia: Curtin University * North America: McGill University | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2) | McGill University (2) |
| 2015 [20] | 58 | North America: University of Mississippi (1) | Europe: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2) | * Asia: NALSAR University of Law * Africa: Obafemi Awolowo University | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1) | University of Mississippi (1) |
| 2014 [21] | 61 | Asia: National Law University, Delhi (1) | North America: Florida State University (1) | * Africa: Obafemi Awolowo University * Europe: Paris-Sud University | National Law University, Delhi (1) | Florida State University (1) |
| 2013 [22] | 60 | North America: Georgetown University (2) | Europe: Leiden University (2) | * Africa: University of Pretoria * Asia: National Law University, Delhi | Georgetown University (4) | Georgetown University (2) |
| 2012 [23] | 54 | Asia: National Law School of India University (2) | Europe: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1) | * Africa: Obafemi Awolowo University * North America: University of California at Davis | National Law School of India University (2) | National Law School of India University (1) |
| 2011 | 44 | North America: Florida State University (1) | Asia: National University of Singapore (3) | Europe: Saint Petersburg State University | National University of Singapore (3) | Obafemi Awolowo University (1) |
| 2010 | 48 | North America: George Washington University (3) | Asia: National University of Singapore (2) | Europe: University of Cologne | National University of Singapore (2) | National University of Singapore (2) |
| 2009 [24] | 48 | Asia: National Law School of India University (1) | North America: Georgetown University (3) | Europe: University of Strathclyde | National Law School of India University (1) | Georgetown University (1) |
| 2008 [25] | 53 | Asia: University of New South Wales (1) | Europe: University of Augsburg (1) | North America: Georgetown University | University of New South Wales (1) | University of Augsburg (1) |
| 2007 [26] | 54 | North America: George Washington University (2) | Asia: University of Queensland (1) | Europe: Leiden University | University of Queensland (1) | University of Queensland (1) |
| 2006 [27] | 56 | Asia: University of Auckland (2) | North America: McGill University | Europe: KU Leuven | McGill University (1) | McGill University (1) |
| 2005 | 47 | North America: George Washington University (1) | Asia: National University of Singapore (1) | Europe: University of Cambridge | National University of Singapore (1) | National University of Singapore (1) |
| 2004 | 39 | Europe: Leiden University (2) | North America: Georgetown University (2) | Asia: National Law School of India University | Georgetown University (3) | Leiden University (1) |
| 2003 | 25 | Asia: University of Auckland (1) | North America: Georgetown University (1) | Europe: University of Bremen | Georgetown University (2) | University of Bremen (1) |
| 2002 | 23 | North America: Georgetown University (1) | Asia: University of New South Wales (1) | Europe: University of Warwick | Georgetown University (1) | University of New South Wales (1) |
| 2001 | Asia: National University of Singapore (1) | North America: University of North Carolina (2) | Europe: Dijon University | University of North Carolina (3) | University of North Carolina (1) | |
| 2000 | Europe: University of Paris XI (2) | North America: Hamline University (1) | Asia: National University of Singapore | Hamline University (1) | University of Paris XI (3) | |
| 1999 | North America: Vanderbilt University (1) | Europe: University of Paris XI (1) | Vanderbilt University (1) | University of Paris XI (2) | ||
| 1998 | North America: University of North Carolina (2) | Europe: University of Helsinki (2) | University of North Carolina (2) | University of Helsinki (1) | ||
| 1997 | Europe: University of Paris XI (1) | North America: University of North Carolina (1) | University of North Carolina (1) | University of Paris XI (1) | ||
| 1996 | Europe: University of Helsinki (1) | North America: University of Wyoming (1) | ||||
| 1995 | North America: University of North Carolina (1) | Europe: Leiden University (1) | ||||
| 1994 | North America: John Marshall University (1) | Europe: University of Helsinki (1) | ||||
| 1993 | Europe: Leiden University (1) | Europe: George Washington University (1) |