16th Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition
Leiden’s International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL), in partnership with the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation, was delighted to co-organise the 16th Edition of the Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition.
This year’s event was hosted by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece. The competition brought together over 130 students and professionals from around the world, continuing the tradition of fostering academic and professional collaboration through moot court advocacy.
International Air Law Conference
Ahead of the competition, the Leiden IIASL International Air Law Conference took place on 24 April 2025. The event featured in-depth discussions on contemporary legal challenges including the interpretation of the Chicago Convention, sustainability efforts in Greece, and the balance between consumer protection and freedom of contract.
The conference opened with remarks by:
- Konstantinos Christodoulou, Dean of the Law School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Photeini Pazartzis, Director, Athens Public International Law Center
- Christos Tsitouras, Governor-Director General, Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority
- Steven Truxal, Professor of Air and Space Law & Director, IIASL, Leiden University
The conference was held at the Drakopoulos Hall of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and concluded with a panel on stakeholder perspectives, encouraging participants to reflect on the day’s insights.
International Air Law Moot Court Competition
The 2025 case focused on issues in Air Law and Public International Law, intersecting with Competition Law and Environmental Law. Key topics included fair competition, mandates for sustainable aviation fuel, and the role of ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
A total of 15 teams from around the world traveled to Athens to participate in this year’s moot. After two days of semi-final rounds, the East China University of Political Science and Law (Applicant) faced National Law University, Jodhpur (Respondent) in the grand final.
The final round took place on 27 April 2025 at the Parnassos Literary Society, and was judged by:
- Michael Gill, Director, Legal Affairs & External Relations, ICAO
- Lia Athanassiou, Professor of Commercial & Maritime Law, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Marc Nichols, Partner & Co-Chair of the Transportation Practice, DLA Piper, Washington DC
Following deliberations, the judges awarded National Law University, Jodhpur as the winner of the 2025 competition. Many congratulations to the champions! Congratulations also to East China University of Political Science and Law for their excellent performance as runners-up.
Awards
- Best Memorial (Applicant): East China University of Political Science and Law
- Best Memorial (Respondent): National Law University, Jodhpur
- Best Oral Arguments (Applicant): National Law University, Jodhpur
- Best Oral Arguments (Respondent): National Law University, Jodhpur
- Best Oralist: Anshita Tiwari (National Law University, Jodhpur)
Leiden University was proudly represented by Christos Anastasiadis, Maëlle Thomas, and Lakshay Beniwal, all current students of the Advanced LL.M. in Air and Space Law. The team was coached by alumni Tuvana Aras and Anmol Dhawan.
Special thanks go to the authors of this year’s case, George Leloudas and Antigoni Lykotrafiti, the International Board of Reviewers, and the 50 judges who presided over the semi-finals. A heartfelt congratulations to Professor Jiefang Huang (Wuhan University), who was named the Best Judge of the Competition.
Acknowledgements
This year’s conference and competition were made possible through the dedication of IIASL staff including Steven Truxal, Jin Choi, Natascha Meewisse, and Benjamyn Scott, and the generous support of sponsors:
Athens International Airport, SKY Express, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Leids Universiteits Fonds (LUF), DLA Piper, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Netherlands), A&O Shearman, Lambadarios Law Firm, Aegean Airlines, POTAMITISVEKRIS, Heraklion International Airport, Studio Pierallini, TrueNoord, Carlesso Law Firm, PionAirLaw, Clyde & Co, and Croon Aviation Lawyers.
Special thanks also to Ambassador Susanna Terstal for graciously hosting a reception at the Dutch Embassy in Athens, and to the teams from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Sarin Legal Aid Foundation for their invaluable support.
Next year, the Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition and Conference will be held for the first time on the African continent in May 2026.