Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

The Competition is based on a hypothetical case written by experts in the Inter-American Human Rights Legal System and reflects a cutting-edge legal issue currently being debated in the region.

2024 Hypothetical Case: "Protection and Guarantees of Human Rights in Digital Environments"

• ENGLISH
• SPANISH
• PORTUGUESE

Official Version of the 2024 Hypothetical Case – Released on January 10, 2024

On January 10, 2024, the Technical Committee released the Official Versions of the 2024 Hypothetical Case. According to Rule 7.2, following the publication of the Case, there will be a three (3) week period in which Competitors, Coaches, Judges, and Observers may submit any concerns regarding the language used in the translated text. Once the revision period is closed, the Competition will post a corrected version in each language, which will henceforth be the official text of the Case for the Competition—for the 2024 Competition, the review period happened between December 10, 2023 – January 3, 2024. After revising all concerns submitted by teams, the Technical Committee fixed minor facts, details, and grammar observations on the three versions of the Case (English, Spanish, Portuguese). The most significant changes were:

• The correct label for the law subject to interpretation by the Republic of Varaná Supreme Court in paragraph 56 is “Law 22 of 2009”. All previous mentions of “Law 900” were inaccurate. Please disregard any prior version of the Case that mentions Law 900 in paragraph 56. Any reference to law 900 in paragraph 56 on written memorials or oral rounds will be considered a misrepresentation of the facts of the Case.

No other significant changes were made.  

Previous topics have addressed:

• 2023 - Equality and Human Rights – Confronting Racial Discrimination
• 2022 - Climate Change and Human Rights: Impacts, Responsibilities, and Opportunities
• 2021 - Human Rights and States of Emergency: Unexpected Crisis and New Challenges
• 2020 - Rule of Law and Human Rights: Strengthening Democratic Institutions
• 2019 - Gender Violence and International Human Rights Law
• 2018 - Emerging Challenges in the Relationship Between International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law
• 2017 - Extractive Industries and Human Rights
• 2016 - Transitional Justice, International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
• 2015 - Rights of Persons with Disabilities and International Human Rights Law
• 2014 - LGBTI Rights
• 2013 - State of emergency
• 2012 - Freedom of speech
• 2011 - Gender discrimination & rape
• 2010 - Freedom of press
• 2009 - Right to life
• 2008 - Torture
• 2007 - Fair trial
• 2006 - Labor unions
• 2005 - Indigenous rights
• 2004 - Terrorism
• 2003 - Environment and human rights
• 2002 - Migration
• 2001 - Freedom of expression
• 2000 - Transitional Justice, International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Previous authors have included:

• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights attorneys
• Former Indigenous Rights Rapporteur to the OAS
• Leaders of prominent NGOs

To read past hypothetical cases, please visit the Past Competitions page and click on the title of the case you would like to read.