Selection for 2026 competition | Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Team
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore will be selecting students to represent the University in the 2026 edition of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition.
The team will be led by Dr. Giorgio Cardile and Dr. Riccardo Ricchetti, under the supervision of Prof. Francesca Benatti, who will act as professor in charge.
The Competition
Organised annually by the International Institute of Space Law, the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition is one of the most prestigious moot court competitions in the world. Founded in 1992, every year dozens of student teams take part from five regions around the world.
The competition is based on a hypothetical case of international and space law, drafted annually by experts in the field.
The Programme
The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition is divided into three main stages.
During the written stage, participating teams draft two memorials, one for the applicant and one for the respondent. The memorials must meet the drafting criteria set by the International Institute of Space Law and must be submitted by the end of February.
Once the memorials have been submitted, teams take part in regional rounds, usually in April. The winners are announced at the end of the regional rounds, and they then advance to the world finals.
The final stage takes place during the Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, organized within the International Astronautical Congress. The finals are judged by three sitting members of the International Court of Justice.
Credits
Students participating in the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition will be eligible for 5 credit points.