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Law students from the University of Liverpool Law School participated in the regional rounds of the 14th edition of the Helga Pederson Moot Court Competition, held at the University of Birmingham between 23 and 25 February.
The Competition simulates the procedures of complaints to the European Court of Human Rights and offers students the unique opportunity to engage directly with the principles and application of the European Convention on Human Rights. Teams prepare oral and written pleadings, representing both applicant and respondent positions.
The Liverpool team comprised Mrinaal Tomar, Katie Stephanou, Harry Challinor and Annaleise Bennet. The team were ably coached by Demi-Lee Franklin.
Reflecting on his experience, team member Mrinaal Tomar said: "Being passionate about both human rights law and international law, leading our team for the Helga Pedersen Moot Competition was one of the most rewarding and intellectually stimulating experiences of reading law. The guidance from Professor Dzehtsiarou, Drs Murphy, Johnston and Berkes, as well as Demi-Lee really helped solidify my knowledge of these fields and has since motivated me to pursue a career in the same. I would highly recommend anyone interested in mooting to apply to be part of this prestigious competition!"
Demi-Lee Frankin, PhD candidate and team coach said: "It was an honour to coach the team and accompany them to the regional round of the competition. The team diligently prepared their written and oral submissions. It was a pleasure to observe all of the progress that they made, culminating in a strong performance in the regional round. They should be very proud of themselves!"
Dr Ben Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Law at Liverpool Law School, said: "It was a pleasure to support the team. Congratulations to Mrinaal especially for conceiving of this project. The team performed strongly, especially considering it was the first time they had participated in the competition. They have set the scene for future teams to potentially represent the Law School in the Final Round at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg."
Find out more
If you are a University of Liverpool student interested in getting involved in international law mooting, registration is now open for the Liverpool International Law Mooting Competition 2026, which takes place on 22 April 2026. Details about how to apply to represent the university in external mooting competitions are published periodically in the Law School Life Bulletin.