Price Media Law Moot Court Competition Explained

Price Media Law Moot Court Competition
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Price Media Law Moot Court Competition
Labelstyle:width:33%
Label1:Established
Data1:2007
Label2:Venue
Label3:Subject matter
Label4:Class
Data4:Grand Slam[1] [2] [3]
Label5:Record participation
Data5:121 teams (2014)
Label6:Qualification
Data6:National/regional rounds
Label7:Most championships
Data7:Singapore Management University School of Law (4; 1 online)
Label8:Website

The Price Media Law Moot Court Competition or Price Moot in short, is an annual international moot court competition. Described as a competition "for raising the profile of freedom of expression by bringing informed and effective debate and discussion on significant issues of information flows and technology to many parts of the world",[4] the Price Moot focuses on international media law and related human rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and various facets of privacy.[5] The main sources of law engaged include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Recurring topics include online hate speech and the responsibility of internet intermediaries. With more than a hundred teams taking part annually, the Price Moot is the world's largest competition in its field and is considered one of the grand slam or major moots.[6] [7]

The moot was created and organised by the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford, and is named after the programme's founding director, Monroe E. Price, a professor specialising in communications law. In 2017, the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights took over as the organiser. The international rounds of the competition are held at the University of Oxford; a series of events is typically organised leading up to these rounds, such as seminars on human rights and masterclasses on advocacy. National and regional rounds were introduced in 2010 and have since taken place in Afghanistan, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, China, Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Northern Europe, Northeast Europe, and Southeast Europe. In 2019, regional rounds were made mandatory for all teams, with no possibility of direct qualification for Oxford. In 2022, the Southeast Europe and Northeast Europe rounds were merged into the Central Eastern Europe rounds, and in 2023, all European rounds were merged.

As of the tenth edition of the moot (2017), 130 universities from 52 countries have taken part in the competition.[8] [9] Singapore Management University, which made its debut in 2010, has the best track record in the moot, having reached the finals on seven occasions (winning the 2010, 2016, 2017, and 2020 editions), won Best Memorials four times (2010, 2016, 2018, and 2023), won Best Finals Oralist thrice (2017, 2018, and 2020), and won Best Oralist twice (2017 and 2022). In addition, Singapore Management University was the first champion school to have won both Best Finals Oralist and Best Oralist in the same year (2017).

Each university may send a team comprising up to six members. Regional round procedures may vary, but in Oxford, each team will compete in between three and four preliminary rounds. The top 16 teams advance to the knockout rounds based on power seeding, and the final two teams compete in the international championship round following the octo-finals, quarter-finals, and semi-finals. In every round, each team has 45 minutes (rebuttals and surebuttals inclusive) to plead a case. Each team also has to prepare a set of written submissions for applicant and respondent before the oral phase of the competition begins; the scores for the written submissions count toward qualification up till a certain point. In 2020, travel restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that a modified version of the moot was conducted online for the 2020 edition's international rounds; the regional rounds were completed per usual. For the 2021 and 2022 editions, with most travel restrictions still in place, all rounds remained online (with modifications to the format as well), but for the 2023 edition, various rounds reverted to the in-person format. The international rounds reverted to the in-person format in 2024.

Competition records

Year Total number of teams Number of teams at international rounds Champion (win number) Runner-up (win number) Semi-finalists Quarter-finalists Best Oralist Best Finals Oralist (win number) Best Memorials (win number) Regional champions
2008[10] [11] 8 8 International Islamic University Malaysia (1) Tbilisi State University (1) NA NA 1st: International Islamic University Malaysia (1) NA
2009[12] 13 13 Cardozo School of Law (1) BPP Law School (1)
  • International Islamic University Malaysia
    * Tbilisi State University
  • Cardozo School of Law
    * BPP School of Law
    * Tbilisi State University
NA
  • 1st: BPP Law School (1)
    * 2nd: Communication University of China
NA
2010[13] [14] [15] 25 25 Singapore Management University (1) Cardozo School of Law (1) NA
  • 1st: Singapore Management University (1)
    * 2nd: University of Bucharest
NA
2011[16] [17] 28 28 Belgrade Law School (1) Cardozo School of Law (2)
  • National Law School of India University
    * National Law School of India University
    * University of Pennsylvania
NA NA
2012[18] [19] 70 33 Nalsar University of Law (1) University of Technology Sydney (1)
  • Singapore Management University
    * National Law School of India University
    * Moi University
    * National University of Juridical Sciences
  • Kaplan Law School
    * Singapore Management University
University of Technology Sydney (1)
  • 1st: National Law School of India University (1)
    * 2nd: Valparaiso University
NA
2013[20] [21] 115 40 National Law University, Delhi (1) Regent University (1)
  • University of Oxford
    * National Law University, Delhi
    * National Law University, Delhi
    * Singapore Management University
    * Brooklyn Law School
National Law University, Delhi (1)
  • 1st: University of Nis (1)
    * 2nd: Southwestern Law School
    * 3rd: University of Technology Sydney
NA
2014[22] [23] [24] 121 35 Jindal Global Law School (1) University of Oxford (1)
  • University of Technology Sydney
    * Hugh Wooding Law School
    * National University of Juridical Sciences
    * University of Nis
    * University of São Paulo
University of Oxford (1) NA
2015[25] [26] [27] [28] 92 39 University of the Philippines (1) Singapore Management University (1)
  • Brooklyn Law School
    * Regent University
    * Brooklyn Law School
    * University of the Philippines
    * Singapore Management University
University of the Philippines (1)
  • 1st: Regent University (1)
    * 2nd: Brooklyn Law School
    * 3rd: National Law University, Jodhpur
NA
2016[29] [30] [31] 93 40 Singapore Management University (2) Jindal Global Law School (1)
  • University of Zagreb
    * Jindal Global Law School
Jindal Global Law School (1)
  • 1st: Singapore Management University (2)
    * 2nd: Regent University
NA
2017[32] [33] 92 44 Singapore Management University (3) University of Oxford (2)
  • Singapore Management University
    * University of San Carlos
    * Singapore Management University
Singapore Management University (1) NA
2018[34] [35] 92 43 University of San Carlos (1) Singapore Management University (2)
  • National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
    * University of San Carlos
    * Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law
    * Singapore Management University
    * Singapore Management University
Singapore Management University (2)
  • 1st: Singapore Management University (3) and National Law University, Delhi (1)
    * 2nd: National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
NA
2019[36] [37] 96 35 University of the Philippines (2) National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (1)
  • Osgoode Hall Law School
    * Singapore Management University
  • University of the Philippines
    * Gujarat National Law University
    * University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines (2)
  • 1st: University of Malaya (1)
    * 2nd: National University of Singapore
NA
2020 (online for international rounds)[38] [39] 112 43 Singapore Management University (4) University of Oxford (3)
  • China University of Political Science and Law
    * University of Malaya
University of the Philippines Singapore Management University (3)
  • 1st: University of Oxford (1)
    * 2nd: University of Malaya
  • Asia-Pacific: Singapore Management University
    * South Asia: National Law School of India University
    * Americas: Universidade de São Paulo
    * Northeast Europe: Belarusian State University
    * Southeast Europe: Eötvös Loránd University
    * Northern Europe: University of Oxford
    * Africa: NA
    * Middle East: NA
2021 (online for all rounds)[40] 100 30 National Law School of India University (1) City, University of London (1) NA City, University of London (1)
  • 1st: University of Malaya (2)
    * 2nd: Symbiosis Law School, Pune
2022 (online for all rounds) 80 27 Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (1) NALSAR University of Law (1)
  • Singapore Management University
    * University of Pretoria
  • Singapore Management University
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (1) University of the Philippines
2023 (online for international rounds)[41] 85 35 University of the Philippines (3) City, University of London (2) NA
  • Osgoode Hall Law School
  • City, University of London (2)
    * University of the Philippines (3)
  • Asia Pacific: Singapore Management University
    * Central Eastern Europe: University of Ljubljana
    * Northern Europe: University of Oxford
    * South Asia: NALSAR University
    * Americas: Osgoode Hall Law School
    * Middle East: German University in Cairo
2024 98 33 University of Chicago (1) Singapore Management University (3)
  • National Law University, Jodhpur
    * Jindal Global Law School
  • University of the Philippines
    * Osgoode Hall Law School
  • University of the Philippines
University of Chicago (1)
  • Asia Pacific: Singapore Management University
    * South Asia: National Law University, Jodhpur
    * Americas: University of Chicago
    * Europe: University of Cambridge
    * Africa: Moi University
    * Middle East: The British University in Egypt

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The 2017/18 International Moots Season in Review. 8 October 2018.
  2. Web site: A Recap of the 2018/19 International Moots Season. 7 September 2019.
  3. Web site: COVID-19 and the 2019/20 International Moots Season. 7 October 2020.
  4. Web site: Price Media Law Moot Court Programme About PCMLP. pricemootcourt.socleg.ox.ac.uk. 2016-06-12.
  5. Web site: Some Thoughts on a Record-breaking 2014/15 Season for Singapore's International Mooters . 2016-01-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160201200508/http://www.lawgazette.com.sg/2015-08/1370.htm . 2016-02-01 .
  6. Web site: Another Season of Record-Breaking International Moot Court Achievements (SMU). 31 October 2017.
  7. Web site: Mooting Premier League is back: MPL 7 sees Nalsar, UILS, NLS, NLIU lead after strong 2016 start.
  8. Web site: limited . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/201610389967941/1285972731531696 . 2022-04-30. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition on Facebook . Facebook.
  9. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  10. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  11. Web site: IIUM : International Islamic University Malaysia.
  12. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  13. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  14. https://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100405-208580.html AsiaOne.com
  15. Web site: Some Thoughts on a Record-breaking 2014/15 Season for Singapore's International Mooters . 2016-01-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160201200508/http://www.lawgazette.com.sg/2015-08/1370.htm . 2016-02-01 .
  16. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  17. Web site: Archived copy . 2012-06-04 . 2012-07-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120723115835/http://www.ius.bg.ac.rs/moot/news.htm . dead .
  18. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  19. Web site: The Hindu : Education : NALSAR students win international moot court competitions. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120426195914/http://www.thehindu.com/education/article3345856.ece. 2012-04-26. The Hindu.
  20. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  21. Web site: NLU Delhi wins Oxford Media Moot, could worry NLS' post-Jessup MPL lead.
  22. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  23. News: Jindal Global Law School wins prestigious moot court competition. The Hindu. 9 April 2014.
  24. Web site: Jindal moots hard, wins Oxford Price for India hat-trick | Nalsar finally puts Asia in Vis East hall of fame.
  25. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  26. Web site: UP Law wins Oxford Moot Court tilt, a first for PH. 29 March 2015.
  27. Web site: UP Law wins Oxford moot court competition │ GMA News Online.
  28. Web site: International media law standards fuel the Asia Rounds of the Price Media Law Moot Court Competition in Beijing. December 2014.
  29. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  30. News: Home Briefs: Roads closed for NTUC Income Run 350. The Straits Times. 5 April 2016.
  31. Web site: JGLS runner-up in Price Media Moot Court; NLIU reach semi-finals.
  32. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  33. News: SMU edges out NUS in Sydney moot contest. The Straits Times. 14 April 2017. Vijayan. K. C..
  34. Web site: Site Maintenance.
  35. Web site: Rising star! University of San Carlos wins big in Price Moot 2018 | Abogado. 16 April 2018.
  36. https://pricemootcourt.socleg.ox.ac.uk/2018/08/international-rounds-2019-2-2/#tab-id-2
  37. Web site: UP Law bags championship in 2019 Price Moot Court | Abogado. 14 April 2019.
  38. Web site: Virtual International Rounds 2020. 4 July 2019.
  39. Web site: College students win law competition.
  40. https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/pm_law_moot_comp_interactive_2021_final_3.pdf
  41. https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/international-rounds-2023