This year 71 universities representing 39 WTO members and observers participated in regional rounds held virtually from February to May 2022. The top 25 teams from the six regional rounds (2 European Rounds, All-Americas Round, South Asia, East Asia and Oceania, and Africa) qualified for the final round that took place in Geneva between 28 June and 2 July and which was co-hosted by the WTO and the University of Geneva Faculty of Law.  

After four days of competition, four teams qualified for the semi-finals: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), University of Zurich (Switzerland), Singapore Management University (Singapore); and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece).

The winning team, from the University of Zurich, was composed of Ms Giulia Bachmann, Mr Mattia Brugger, Ms Kayla-Leigh Coetzee, and Mr Robert Matic.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven emerged as a runner-up, and also won prizes for Best Complainant's Written Submission and Best Overall Written Submission. Hannah Mignolet was awarded Best Orator in the semi-finals, and Emma Fransen was awarded Best Orator in the final.

Winners of individual and team awards received prizes from the WTO as well as the opportunity to receive scholarships to study at the competition's academic supporters — Georgetown University Law Center (United States) and the World Trade Institute (Switzerland). WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala met with the participants and Deputy-Director General Angela Ellard chaired the final bench of distinguished trade professionals and scholars.

The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is a simulated hearing under the rules of the WTO dispute settlement system involving exchanges of written submissions and adversarial hearings before panelists on international trade law issues. This year the case, “Alderaan — Measures concerning permanent magnet generators for windmills”, was written by Victor Crochet, Associate at Van Bael & Bellis and PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge; and Marcus Gustafsson, Member of the Legal Service at the European Commission. The case raised issues related to transnational subsidies and the interplay between trade liberalization and environmental protection.

The competition is organized by the European Law Students' Association (ELSA). The WTO has been a technical supporter of the competition since its inception in 2002. The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is an example of the WTO's broad support for capacity building. This year, WTO staff members participated virtually and in person as panelists for written submissions and oral pleadings and advised ELSA on the logistical and academic aspects of running the competition.

The recording of the grand final is available here. For more information about the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition, visit its website here.