Schools
Seneca Valley Students Sweep Moot International Criminal Court Competition
Students assumed the roles of defense and prosecuting attorneys in the regional competition.
Eight Seneca Valley Intermediate High School students recently participated in the Moot International Criminal Court sponsored by Global Solutions Pittsburgh and the Center for International Legal Education at the University of Pittsburgh.
This year’s case centered around two main issues—whether or not acts of terrorism fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court through Article 7 of the Rome Statute (Crimes Against Humanity) and whether or not a defendant’s removal from the courtroom is a violation of his rights if the trial continues in his absence.
Students, working in pairs of two, assumed the role of Applicants (defense attorneys) or Respondents (prosecuting attorneys) to argue their appeals case before a panel of judges in multiple competitive rounds.
Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The championship round included two teams from the Seneca Valley. Sophomore Teresa Leatherow and freshman Siona Sharma walked away with a first place victory while Amanda Spangler and Sydney Ziatek earned second place.
Senior high school students also made an impressive showing, with Alex Taylor and Alex Steighner receiving first place for their written memos. Additionally, Kaleigh Ruiz took first place for her oral arguments during the competition.
Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The participating schools all were from Western Pennsylvania.
According to the Daniel Giovannelli, executive director of Global Solutions Pittsburgh, this event is likely the only high school moot ICC competition offered within the nation because of the complexity of the legal issues and the difficulty of the case materials.
Want to congratulate these Seneca Valley students on their accomplishment? Tell us in the comment section below.
-- Information and photos submitted by Seneca Valley School District. Have news you'd like to share with Patch readers? Email Editor Jessica Sinichak at jessica.sinichak@patch.com or visit our Pics & Clips Gallery.
Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter
Check out some of today's other top stories here .
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
