European student association hosts first Irish moot court competition

Teams from across the country competed with each other amidst the imposing architectural magnificence of the Criminal Courts of Justice, arguing on behalf of their fictional clients in a case that focused on aspects of online harassment and hate speech.

Ruadhán O’Riordan, vice president for moot court competitions at ELSA Ireland, organised the landmark event.

It was the first Irish moot court to centre on online harassment.

Organisers said the oral argumentation displayed by the competitors was of a particularly high standard, but teams representing Dublin City University and Maynooth University rose above the competition and broke to the final, presided over by Judge Karen O’Connor.

Daniel O’Dowd and David Donohue of Maynooth University were ultimately victorious over Cathal Daly and Diana Marija Markina of DCU in what was a very close final round.

However, Ms Daly took home the coveted prize for best speaker in the competition.