Criminal Law Moot Court
2026
In 2026, the Bonn department will once again participate in the national criminal law moot court competition, which will take place on May 14–15, 2026, at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
Teams from various law schools across Germany compete against one another in a mock trial. The teams, each consisting of four members, take on the roles of the prosecution and the defense and prepare closing arguments on a case involving current issues in criminal law and criminal procedure.
This year's Bonn team consists of Nora Jael Kupferschmid, Denise Rostek, Maria Shamisdin, and Samira Tajjiou, and is coached by Jan Forsewicz and Emile Schermer.
Nora Jael Kupferschmid
is 22 years old and is currently in her third semester of law school at the University of Bonn. In her free time, she enjoys painting and reading. Since her First Communion, she has served as an altar server in her home parish and is actively involved as a leader in mentoring and training young altar servers. Through the criminal law moot court, she hopes to gain exciting insights into practical legal work and the proceedings of a court trial.
Denise Rostek
is 19 years old and is in her third semester of law school at the University of Bonn. In addition to her studies, she enjoys swimming, taking ballet classes, and volunteering with the Refugee Law Clinic Bonn’s consultation team. Criminal law was a major motivation for her to begin her studies, which is why she is very excited about the opportunity to delve deeply into the subject in a practical way. Working together as a team to analyze the facts of the case, making new connections, and gaining an initial understanding of criminal procedure law — especially in the context of the moot court — presents an exceptional opportunity.
Maria Shamisdin
is currently in her second semester of law school at the University of Bonn. Prior to that, she completed her training as a registered nurse and subsequently gained valuable professional experience in an interdisciplinary intensive care unit, supplemented by her participation in two national nursing competitions. She made a conscious decision to pursue a degree in law because she is particularly interested in the intersection of law and ethics. In addition to her studies, she continues to work in the intensive care unit and serves as an editorial board member for the Bonner Rechtsjournal to gain insight into academic research and the world of publishing. By participating in the criminal law moot court, she is excited to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting early on and gain further experience.
Samira Tajjiou
is 21 years old and is in her third semester of law school at the University of Bonn. In addition to her studies, she works as a student assistant in the Department of Public Law under Prof. Dr. Laura Münkler. As part of the moot court competition, she is particularly looking forward to the opportunity to gain insights into the proceedings of a criminal trial alongside her team and to gain valuable practical experience.
2025
Third place at the 6th National Criminal Law Moot Court Competition
The University of Bonn team participated in the national criminal law moot court competition for the first time and immediately secured a spot among the top three. The competition involves a mock trial before a criminal division of a regional court, in which the teams take on the roles of the prosecution and the defense and prepare closing arguments as well as a reply and a rejoinder.
This year’s case raised interesting issues relating to both criminal procedure law and substantive criminal law. In particular, the question arose as to whether the defendant’s detention cell constitutes a dwelling for the purposes of acoustic surveillance using a “bug.” In substantive terms, the case hinged primarily on the precise interpretation of the arson charges relating to a fire in the basement of an apartment building, as well as on establishing the intent to kill. Furthermore, the question arose as to whether the elements of murder — namely, perfidy and the use of means constituting a public danger — had been met.
A unique feature of the competition is that there is no written submission phase; instead, the teams present their cases exclusively orally. In addition to drafting their arguments, the preparation process therefore included a series of mock trials before experienced prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, and professors in order to receive as much feedback as possible. The team also had the opportunity to face off against the teams from the universities of Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Münster in three “friendly rounds” ahead of the main competition.
At the competition held on May 1 and 2 in Trier, the team impressed in the preliminary round—which included 13 universities—by defeating Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and the University of Augsburg in their debates, securing a fantastic first-place finish. In the subsequent knockout round featuring eight universities, the Bonn defense prevailed against the prosecution team from Humboldt University of Berlin, securing a spot in the top 4. In addition, our defense attorney Emile Schermer was named “Best Speaker” in Trier as one of two participants.
This year, the final round featuring the top four universities took place in Leipzig to mark the 75th anniversary of the Federal Court of Justice and the Office of the Federal Prosecutor General. Since there was no semifinal, the points earned in the knockout round were used to determine which teams would compete for first place (grand final) and which for third place (third-place match) in Leipzig. In the third-place match on May 16, 2025, held in the main courtroom of the Federal Administrative Court, the Bonn Public Prosecutor’s Office prevailed over the defense team from the University of Münster before a distinguished panel of judges — comprising four judges from the 5th and 6th Criminal Divisions of the Federal Court of Justice and a senior public prosecutor at the Federal Court of Justice — and secured third place.
We congratulate the team from the University of Augsburg on their second-place finish and, in particular, the team from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf on their first-place finish. The University of Bonn is already looking forward to the next competition, which will be held in Düsseldorf.
The Bonn team would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to its supporters — especially to all the trial judges who took the time to listen to the closing arguments and offer valuable advice. We would also like to thank Prof. Dr. El-Ghazi and his team at the University of Trier, as well as everyone involved at the Federal Court of Justice and the Office of the Federal Prosecutor General, for their outstanding organization of the competition.
Malte Machura
is 21 years old and is in his third semester of law school at the University of Bonn. In his free time, he plays basketball, goes running, and rides a road bike. As part of the Moot Court, he is particularly looking forward to the opportunity to gain practical experience and make new connections.
Jan Mühlberger
is 23 years old and is currently in his third semester of law school. After completing his dual bachelor’s degree, he deliberately sought out a new challenge — and found it in studying law. He occasionally misses the practical application of what he’s learned, which is why he’s all the more excited about opportunities like the moot court. Analyzing and resolving legal issues as part of a team is not only a valuable learning experience for him, but also a great opportunity to apply his passion for the law in a practical setting.
Valentin Rudloff
is 19 years old and is in his third semester of law school. In addition to his studies, he works as a student employee at Rewe. As part of the criminal law moot court, he is particularly looking forward to gaining insight into the proceedings of a criminal trial and participating in it as part of a team.
Emile Schermer
is 20 years old and is in his fourth semester of law school at the University of Bonn. In addition to his studies, he works as a student assistant in the Department of Public Law under Prof. Dr. Foroud Shirvani. He gained his first professional experience through an internship at the Cologne Public Prosecutor’s Office. By participating in the national criminal law moot court competition, he hopes to deepen his interest in criminal proceedings and make valuable new connections.