Our Students-Lawyers Won A Prize for Rhetoric Mastery in The CEEMC 2013

Students from the Legal Faculty of UNWE took part in the prestigious competition on the European Union Law entitled Central and East European Moot Court Competition (CEEMC 2013) under the aegis of the European Union Court of Justice. The participation of our university in the competition has already become a tradition. UNWE took an exclusively good place in the ranking and won a special individual award for the rhetoric mastery of one of its participant.

CEEMC is organized by the British Law Centre in Warsaw under the aegis of the European Union Court of Justice and the Center for European Legal Studies to the University of Cambridge, UK. The competition was held for the 19^th time and hosts of the event were the Legal Faculty of University of Brno and the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic. Traditionally, the event was chaired by Eleanor Sharpston, Advocate General at the European Union Court of Justice.

The Rector of UNWE Prof. D.Sc. (Econ.) Statty Stattev met with our competitors and their coach after their returning from the Chezh Republic.

The competition is a kind of simulated legal proceedings before the European Court of Justice in which teams of prestigious universities from Central and East Europe defend the position of plaintiffs and defendants in a preliminary prepared case in the English language. The current edition of the competition was devoted to the controversial issues on the European warrant of arrest and the observation of human rights in the context of its application. In relation to the case there were made 5 questions to the European Union Court of Justice in the form of preliminary inquiry by a national court. Re-embodying in the role of lawyers the students had to submit written defence on behalf of the plaintiff and the defendant as well as to prepare their pleadings for the oral participation in the competition.

The team of UNWE (from the left to the right): Andon Tashukov, Polina Hristova and Alexander Nanov.

The UNWE took part in the event by a team of three students: Alexander Nanov (4^th year undergraduate), Polina Hristova (3^rd year undergraduate) and Andon Tashukov (semester of graduation). Coaches of the team were the former alumni of our university Radostina Mladenova, participant in the CEEMC 2011 and Gergana Ilieva, participant in the CEEMC 2012.

The UNWE team was determined to plead as a plaintiff against the team of the Free University of Tbilisi, Georgia who was a pretender for the first place but finally lost. In the “game” as defendants our students played against the Gdansk University, Poland and won a victory over it by 9 points difference. The UNWE team had the honour to be listened by performing the role of judges Dr. Jonathan Morgan from the University of Cambridge, Prof. Michael Bobek from the College of Europe, Katrin Howden, Legal Adviser at the UK Law Society in Brussels, Nick Fletcher, partner and lawyer at the Clifford Chance Solicitors – one of the largest law companies in England and many others.

At the opening of the competition. From the left to the right: Gergana Ilieva (coach), Polina Hristova, Andon Tashukov and Alexander Nanov

By a total score of 148 points from its pleadings and written defences our university occupied the prestigious 9^th place and only 0, 75 points more were needed to it to be ranked among the first eight semi-finalists. However, the UNWE team received many positive reviews for its performance and assurances of the judges in the enormous potential of Bulgarian students.

Before the first game

At the official dinner on the occasion of closing of the competition were given also the individual awards to the most outstanding orators. During the ceremony, it was cleared that the work and skills of Alexander Nanov had been specifically noticed and appreciated by the judges and he was awarded by a certificate of rhetoric mastery. The prize was given to him personally by the Advocate General at the European Union Court of Justice Eleanor Sharpston.

Alexander Nanov is receiving his award for rhetoric mastery from the Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston