NEWS

The International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot Court Competition organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation of Japan was held at Utsunomiya University on the 8th and 9th of November, 2025, and the APU student team has secured their third consecutive championship victory.
In the IHL Moot Court Competition, participating students are tested not only on their theoretical understanding of International Humanitarian Law as applied in armed conflict, but also on their ability to adapt that knowledge in practice. This year’s case focused on war crimes, requiring participants to apply legal theory to highly complex, real-world scenarios.

The winning team prepared under the guidance of their coach, Ms. Garima Nikam(College of Asia Pacific Studies, 4th year, India). On the day of the competition, each team member skillfully presented legal arguments based on the facts of the case, taking on the roles of both prosecutor and defendant, and ultimately secured a remarkable victory.

This achievement grant them a ticket to represent Japan in the most prestigious international IHL moot court competition— The 24th Red Cross International Humanitarian law (IHL) Moot (Asia-Pacific Region).

Winning APU team members:

• Jayaweera Devni Neha (College of Asia Pacific Studies, 3rd year, Sri Lanka)
• Do Dai Duc (College of Asia Pacific Studies, 3rd year, Vietnam)
• Shaikh Zujajah (College of Asia Pacific Studies, 4th year, Pakistan)
• Daub Cattleya Avery Eunice (College of Asia Pacific Studies, 3rd year, Philippines)

Team Coach

• Garima Nikam (College of Asia Pacific Studies, 4th year, India)

Comment from the APU team:

Participating in the ICRC IHL Moot Court was an incredibly exciting experience. Through this journey, we gained truly transferable skills such as public speaking, structured negotiation, legal research, and persuasive writing.
Meeting distinguished scholars such as Professor William Schabas and Judge Piotr Hofmański, and witnessing the exceptional performance of other teams, enriched us far beyond classroom theory. The atmosphere was undeniably electric; as the intensity built, the fictional case began to feel real—almost as if actual lives depended on the outcome. Every argument was delivered with clarity and purpose, in pursuit of justice and truth.
To any student considering future editions of the ICRC IHL Moot Court—don’t hesitate. This is a rare and deeply rewarding opportunity to grow, explore, and discover a side of international relations you may never encounter within the four walls of a classroom. We wholeheartedly encourage you to take that leap.