From 25 to 29 March 2024, HOGENT hosted the 8th edition of the Businet Moot Court, an international competition in which teams of law students from different countries and universities compete against each other. The focus is on the free movement of goods within European law, for which the teams had been preparing a case in English since December.
Businet is a network of 146 higher education institutions from 34 countries. The oral rounds of the international moot court took place at HOGENT campus Mercator. After intensive pleadings, our own HOGENT team, consisting of students Beau Dubois, Kaat Barbé, Kiru De Meester, Ludivine Van den Bossche and Sil De Houck, led by coaches An Vermeersch, Lien Martin and Tanja Van den Bossche, ranked first.
A new case was released on Wednesday, after which all teams worked on their preparation until late in the evening. On Thursday, the HOGENT team faced the team from partner school EPHEC Brussels. Although the teams were evenly matched, HOGENT ultimately lost.
The semi-finals and the exciting final took place in the magnificent assize hall of the Court of Appeal in Ghent. An expert jury, consisting of a lecturer and two court judges, assessed the pleas.
All teams demonstrated remarkable growth, both in legal matters and language skills. Simultaneously, they got to know each other and discovered the city of Ghent during social activities such as a European aperitif, a pizza night on Monday, a boat tour through the city and a festive closing dinner on Thursday, where the winners were announced. Ultimately, victory went to the team from HTW Berlin.
“I am sure that what students have learnt and experienced during barely 5 days could not have been learnt on a whole semester. This result is undoubtedly also due to the tireless efforts of team coaches who helped and assisted their students until well past midnight. Many thanks to HOGENT for the excellent co-organisation, friendly welcome and warm reception.”
Nico Nijsten, President Businet
This event was not only a legal challenge, but also a unique opportunity for students to develop their skills and establish international connections. HOGENT looks back on a successful edition of the Businet Moot Court and looks forward to future collaborations.