18th Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition, Prague, Czech Republic (8-11 April 2027; Register by 13 November 2026)

The Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition is a joint initiative of the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL), Leiden Law School, Leiden University, The Netherlands, and the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation, Chandigarh, India. It was first launched in India in 2010 and is held at a different location every year; the 2026 edition was hosted by the University of Namibia in Windhoek and the 2025 edition by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The 18th edition will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, from 8 to 11 April 2027.

The 2027 case, Montaverre v. Omarikesh, is an application before the International Court of Justice concerning drone attacks, cyber interference, the targeting of civil aircraft and the violation of airspace sovereignty. It draws on the Chicago Convention, the UN Charter, the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and aviation security instruments including the Beijing Convention. Each team prepares both an Applicant and a Respondent Memorial in English.

• Rules of Procedure, Article 3(a): "The Competition is open to any student enrolled on a Bachelor of Laws (B.A. or LL.B), Master of Laws (LL.M.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.) programme at an accredited university who has less than five (5) years of experience in litigation." Indian law students are eligible, and India has its own National Round.
• Teams of 2 or 3 students; only 2 team members may plead per session. Each team may have a Faculty Adviser.
• Each university may be represented by a maximum of one team.
• Students may not participate more than once for the same university in a national round or the International Rounds.
• At most three universities from a single country take part in the International Round.
• The language of the Competition at all stages is English.

Under Article 4 of the Rules of Procedure, if more than four teams from one country register, a National Pre-Selection Round decides which teams represent that country in the International Rounds. The National Round of India is organised by the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation, and the organisers note that India has the most competitive pre-selection round, with 20+ teams registering each year. The time schedule lists the National Rounds for February 2027 with India's dates to be decided; the Indian round dates and the deadline for submitting copies of Memorials to the Sarin Bureau will be announced by the organisers.

• Teams participating in the International Rounds pay a registration fee of EUR 300 per team, due by 15 January 2027, 23:59 CET. The fee is non-refundable in case of cancellation by the team. Payment details are on the official Practical Information page.
• Teams in a National Round do not pay the EUR 300 fee to complete their registration; only the national winners who qualify for the International Rounds pay it.
• The National Rounds Rules of Procedure provide for a nominal, non-refundable entry fee at national registration, which may be adjusted against the International Rounds fee for selected teams. The amount is not stated on the official site.

Accommodation during the Competition is usually provided by the hosts; team members of the same gender and coaches may be required to share a room, and extra rooms or nights may be booked at an additional price. Teams make and pay for their own travel to and from the venue. All team members need a valid passport and must hold any required visa two weeks before the Competition; the Bureau will attempt to assist with invitation letters.

Register the team through the official IALMC online registration form (linked as the registration link on this page). The registration deadline is 13 November 2026, 23:59 CET (04:29 IST on 14 November 2026). The Bureau assigns each team a registration number after the deadline and confirms participation on 16 November 2026. Indian teams should also follow the National Round instructions issued by the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation.

Clarifications of the Case are published and distributed on 16 December (the official time schedule prints this as 16 December 2025). National Rounds are held in February 2027, with dates for India and China to be decided. All Bureau deadlines are 23:59 CET.