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Hukukchy Moot Court

The Hukukchy Moot Court is an annual competition for law students. Teams argue a civil dispute drawn from real practice under the law of Turkmenistan, first in writing and then before judges in a simulated courtroom. The aim is to connect what students learn in lectures with what practice demands: analysing facts, building a legal argument, and presenting it clearly on paper and in person.

Format: three rounds

I. Legal opinion

Every registered team receives the case and submits a written legal opinion on the parties' rights and the breaches in the dispute. Teams that advance are announced on this website.

II. Moot court

Teams file a statement of claim and a statement of defence, then plead in oral hearings. Opponents and sides are drawn by lot. The two highest-scoring teams reach the final.

III. Final

The two finalists plead before a panel of three judges, and the winner is decided.

Key rules

Who can enter
Students studying law at higher education institutions. Master's and doctoral students and graduates are not eligible. First-place teams and their members from previous years cannot enter again.
Teams
Three students from the same university: two speakers and one reserve. A university may enter any number of teams.
Languages
Turkmen and Russian, with equal standing in every round.
Written submissions
Maximum 1,000 words; Times New Roman, single spacing, justified; set margins. Words over the limit are penalised.
Oral hearings
Two speakers per team, a timed allocation per team including judges' questions, followed by rebuttal and surrebuttal. Arguments must stay within the written submissions.
Scoring
One judge per round; three in the final. Each speaker is scored 1–10 for logic, legal reasoning, argument and advocacy. Penalties apply for late or non-compliant submissions, going beyond the facts, overrunning time and breaches of ethics.
Awards
  • Winner
  • Best Statement of Claim
  • Best Statement of Defence
  • Best Oralist

Registration

Complete the team registration form and send it to hukukchy.mootcourt@gmail.com, or register in person with the organisers. Only teams that receive a registration confirmation may compete. Questions about the facts of the case can be sent to the organising committee, and answers are published on this page. The competition is run by the Hukukchy Moot Administration, which has sole authority over the case, the rules and their interpretation.

Editions

  1. 2026

    2026 edition

    The 2026 competition ran through written rounds, oral rounds and a final before a panel of three judges.
    Winner
    Magtymguly Turkmen State University

  2. 2025

    A complex commercial case at a new venue

    The 2025 edition centred on a multi-layered commercial litigation problem and was held at a new venue for the first time. The Regulation was updated in April 2025, and top performers earned direct mentorship from the firm's lawyers.
    Winner
    International University for the Humanities and Development

  3. 2024

    Two competitions: criminal and civil law

    In 2024 Hukukchy held two separate competitions, one on criminal law and one on civil law, giving students a choice of specialisation.
    Winner
    Criminal law: Magtymguly Turkmen State UniversityCivil law: International University for the Humanities and Development

  4. 2023

    Specialised tracks and mentorship

    The 2023 edition introduced specialised tracks in different fields of law and attracted teams from the country's top law schools. Participants gained courtroom-style advocacy experience and direct mentorship from Hukukchy's lawyers.
    Winner
    International University for the Humanities and Development

  5. 2022

    Second edition: the competition doubles

    The second edition drew interest from more than 100 students across the country's leading law faculties, confirming the competition as a fixture of the academic year.
    Participants
    100
    Winner
    International University for the Humanities and Development

  6. 2021

    The first Hukukchy Moot Court

    Hukukchy launched the competition in 2021 with more than 50 law students from Magtymguly Turkmen State University, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International University for the Humanities and Development. The same year, the firm adopted the Moot Court Regulation that still governs the competition.
    Participants
    50
    Winner
    International University for the Humanities and Development

Interested in the next edition?

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