The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens defeated the University of Cambridge in the Sixteenth International Roman Law Moot Court Competition, at a Grand Final held against the stunning backdrop of the Oden of the Villa of Vedius Pollio at the Pausilypon on the Bay of Naples on Friday 21 April 2023. The winning team consisted of Oikonomou Akrivi Chrysi, Charalampos Vergadis, Despoina Polizoi and Anastasia Drosou; and the runners-up were Eve Singleton, Jonathan Saunders, Medhansh Kumar and Pearl Mehan. Judges from four countries presided at the Grand Final: Prof. Dr. Thomas Finkenauer and Ms Maria Lux (Germany), Prof. Ciara Kennefick (United Kingdom), Prof. Jean-François Gerkens (Belgium) and Prof. Marcelo Nasser (Chile).
The result tracks long-term historical rankings of the two teams in this competition: Athens and Cambridge are respectively the second- and third-most successful participating universities. The judicial deliberations took longer on this occasion than any Grand Final in recent memory: a special delivery of Neapolitan pizza and sfogliatelle was made to sustain their efforts.
The top individual prize in the Sixteenth IRLM, the Palma Optimi Oratoris or Best Oralist prize, was awarded to Sven Fierlbeck (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen), with Honourable Mentions to Bruno Lucas Silva Acácio (Universität Trier) and Anastasia Drosou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens).
The Small Final saw the Universität Trier secure third place in the 2023 competition over Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen.
For their support in delivering the Sixteenth IRLM, the hosts, judges and mooters gratefully acknowledge: the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; the Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza; the Consorzio Interuniversitario G Boulvert; the Centro Interdipartimentale V. Arangio-Ruiz; LMS studio legale; the Municipality of Pozzuoli; the Parco Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei; the Parco Archeologico del Pausylipon; Banco Popolare di Torre del Greco; Brancaccio Costruzioni spa; Iurisprudentia, the Scuola di Magistratura; the Comitato Archeologico Rione Terra; and the Parco Archeologico di Baia.