Time to Act | Page 31

PÅL THYGESEN EIRIN NYHUS-JENSSEN FRØYDIS PATURSSON HANNAH BENNIN BRATAAS HENRIK VAALER TORIL STRAND HUSEVÅG DOMEN KAVKA Ema P. Končan Katja Doležalek Maja Ramšak MARJAN KOS MATEJ BRAJNIK Team Schjødt Country represented: Norway University and specific area of study: Faculty of law, University of Oslo Club Henrik Steska Country represented: Slovenia University and specific area of study: Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana What was your personal experience of the Moot Court finals in Strasbourg? What was your personal experience of the Moot Court finals in Strasbourg? Were you nervous and how did you deal with it? Toril Strand Husevåg: It Maja Ramšak: It was a unique experience. By winning the Regional Moot Court finals in the Western Balkans we got the opportunity to participate in the Trans-European finals in Strasbourg at the headquarters of the European Court. We appreciated being a part of this exceptional event and believe it provided all of us with great professional experience. Domen Kavka: The night before the competition the whole team became nervous as we were still trying to figure out the best way to approach our oral pleadings. However we overcame it with inspiring music, some treats and lots of jokes. The whole team finally relaxed when we sat down in the small hearing room of the Court building. was a lot of hard work and out of my comfort zone, but I loved it! It was an amazing experience and such a privilege to get the opportunity to attend. We had a lot of fun preparing and I really enjoyed meeting the other participants and contributors. What was the atmosphere like at the competition? Toril Strand Husevåg: It was fun and serious at the same time. And I think we were all impressed by the fact that we got to be at the European Court of Human Rights. It was unforgettable. Were you nervous? I was very nervous at the time, but I think I was even more thankful and excited when the event began so the nerves eventually subsided. Toril Strand Husevåg: What were the main challenges for you and how did you overcome them? Toril Strand Husevåg: I think the main challenge was that I hadn’t done anything on this scale before and we didn’t really know what to expect. I overcame it by good team work and a little courage. What was the atmosphere like at the competition? Katja Doležalek: The oral pleadings took place in a small hearing room in front of numerous prestigious judges. One would think that this could create an intimidating atmosphere, but that was not the case. It was quite the opposite – the atmosphere was really nice and relaxed. What was the topic of the Court case? Matej Brajnik: The case revolved around a very interesting topic regarding one state’s refusal to allow a Pride Festival. It was a really big challenge to find relevant case-law related to this topic, which is very controversial in many European countries especially in Eastern Europe. Can you sum up the benefits and how it might influence your future in human rights? Toril Strand Husevåg: I learned a lot about working under pressure, team-work, oral proceedings and most importantly it gave me a greater passion to work with human rights and to fight for the protection of hidden minorities specifically. What were the main challenges for you and how did you overcome them? The language in use was English. That was probably the main challenge for us. One of the hardest parts was answering questions from the judges. We tried to overcome the challenges by rehearsing the speeches and anticipating possible answers. Ema P. Končan: Can you sum up the benefits to you and how it might influence your future in human rights? Marjan Kos: Besides the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present a case before a panel of honourable European Judges, we gained invaluable experience during several rounds of oral pleadings. The main benefit for all of us is undoubtedly a much more profound and detailed understanding of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. “ he main benefit for all of us is undoubtedly a much T more profound and detailed understanding of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.” 31