2011 USC MOOT COURT COMPETITION ON INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW March 2010 Organizer: Moot Court Committee organized

by Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan I. A. THE MEMORIALS Submission of Memorials

Each team participating in the Competition is required to prepare and submit the assigned Memorial on the Moot Problem. B. Format of Memorials

All parts of the Memorials must be in Times New Roman, Size 12, with 1 line spacing and printed in standard short bond paper (8 x 11). Quotations and footnotes shall have the same format but with single line spacing except between separate footnotes. The Memorials must be stapled on the upper left side. The Cover Page, Table of Contents, and Table of Authorities must be double-spaced. The Pleadings section of each Memorial, including the Conclusion/Prayer for Relief, shall not exceed 2500 words. Words in excess of the maximum shall have a corresponding deduction in the teams Memorial score, to wit: C. 1. 1-50 words, deduction of 5 marks 51-100 words deduction of 10 marks 101-200 words, deduction of 20 marks Over 200 words, deduction of 30 marks Parts of the Memorials Cover Page

The cover page for both the Applicant and Respondent Memorials must specify the following: Name of the participating section Names of the students comprising the team Title of the case Title of the document (Memorial for Applicant or Memorial for Respondent) Date of the Competition 2. Table of Contents

The Table of Contents must list all the contents of the Memorials, including the headings and sub-headings. 3. Index of Authorities

The Index of Authorities provides a list of the authorities cited in the Memorials, i.e., laws, commentaries, cases, and other articles used as references. The list must be alphabetically arranged, must include a description of each authority, and must specify the pages in the Memorial where it is cited. 4. Statement of Facts

The Statement of Facts in narrative form contains the stipulations and inferences in the Compromis. It must present the facts found in the Compromis in a form according to the teams position without adding or distorting the facts or making unreasonable inferences therein. 5. Summary of the Pleadings

The Summary of the Pleadings provides a substantive summation of the arguments presented in the Memorial. It should not be a reproduction of the headings and sub-headings found therein. To be effective, it must present the arguments concisely and direct to the point in a maximum of two sentences.
6.

Pleadings (Body of the Memorial)

This is the core of the Memorial, sometimes referred to as Arguments. The Pleadings contain the arguments, position, or standpoint of the team. It provides the law and jurisprudence on which the arguments are founded.
7.

Conclusion/Prayer for Relief

The Conclusion/Prayer for Relief states the remedy the team is asking the Court to order. This is not to be used for presenting new information or the summation of the teams case. D.

Research and Assistance

The team members shall solely be responsible for the research, writing, and editing of the Memorials. II.
A. 1.

THE ORAL HEARING PROCEDURES The Rules applicable

Each team shall consist of a first counsel, second counsel, rebuttalist and/or surrebuttalist as designated by the team.

2.
3.

The order of the pleadings is as follows: Applicant 1 Applicant 2 Respondent 1 Respondent 2 Rebuttal, if any (Applicant 1 or 2) Sur-rebuttal, if any (Respondent 1 or 2) Each team is given 40 minutes to speak, allocated as follows: 15 minutes for the first counsel 15 minutes for the second counsel 10 minutes for rebuttal (Applicant) or sur-rebuttal (Respondent)

4.

The first counsel shall indicate at the start how long each counsel will speak and the time allotted for the rebuttal or sur-rebuttal. The time of the first counsel shall begin from the entry of appearance. The remaining time in the oral arguments, if any, may not be used to extend the time allocated for rebuttal or sur-rebuttal. If the Applicant waives the rebuttal, the Respondent may not appear for surrebuttal.
5.

A counsel may ask the Court for an extension before the end of his/her designated time. The Court has the discretion to allow such request for extension.
6. 7.

8.

There will be a timekeeper who will notify the counsels when they have: 5 minutes left 1 minute left 30 seconds left to end their presentation

Any communication at the counsel table shall be in writing to prevent disruption. The teams must avoid making any noise or inappropriate behavior which may disturb the proceedings.
9.

Teams are not allowed to communicate with the audience.

10. Electronic devices such as laptops, handheld computers, mobile phones, and other similar gadgets are not allowed to be used during the rounds. B. Rebuttal and Surrebuttal

The Rebuttal shall be limited to the points raised in the Memorial and Oral Presentations. The Surrebuttal shall be limited to the points raised in the Rebuttal. Any infraction of the foregoing shall incur deductions of up to twenty (20) points from the total team score in the round.

III.

COMPETITION SCORING

The scoring shall consist of two parts: The scoring of the Memorials; The scoring of the Oral Rounds. A. Scoring of Memorials

The judges shall score a Memorial on a scale of seventy-five (75) to one hundred (100) points. The average of the scores given by the judges will be the final score of a Memorial. B. Scoring of the Oral Rounds

The oral presentations shall be evaluated by at least two judges. The maximum score for each counsel shall be 200 and the maximum score for each team shall be 400. C. Scores

The teams aggregate score out of 500 shall be determined by combining its Memorial score with the two oral presentation scores, pursuant to the above rules. D. Tie-Breaking Procedure

In case of a tie in a particular round, the team that has the highest average score for its oral presentations shall be declared the winner. In the event that the tie is still not broken, the team whose first counsel has the highest average score for his or her oral presentations in the oral presentations shall be declared the winner. The decision of the judges shall be final. IV. A. PENALTIES Memorial Penalties

The Committee shall deduct the penalty for the Memorials from each of the individual judges scores to determine the final score. The minimum score that a team may receive from any individual Memorial judge is 50 points. The Committee shall notify the teams of the imposed penalties prior to the oral presentations. RULE V. A. SUMMARY Late submission of memorial PENALTY 10 points for every day of delay

V. B.

Use of incorrect size

V. B.

Excessive length of pleadings

(maximum of 30 points) 1 point per violation, up to a maximum of 10 points 1-50 words excess, deduction of 5 marks 51-100 words in excess, deduction of 10 marks 101-200 words in excess, deduction of 20 marks Over 200 words in excess, deduction of 30 marks 2 points (one-time penalty) 2 points (one-time penalty)

V. C. 1. V. C. 3. B. RULE VII. A.9 V.

Failure to include the necessary information in the Cover Sheet Improper format of Index of Authorities Oral Round Penalties

SUMMARY Disruptive noise and inappropriate behavior AWARDS

PENALTY 10 points

The top three (3) highest scoring oralist/counsels in the oral hearings of the general rounds will be awarded certificates as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Best Mooters, respectively. The top two (2) Memorials with the highest scores shall be adjudged as 1st, 2nd Best Memorials, respectively. VI. INTERPRETATION OF RULES

The Committee shall have absolute discretion to resolve any issues concerning the interpretation of rules