Throughout spring and summer 2025, the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) held the four Semi-Finals of the prestigious THEMIS Competition. A total of 39 teams of judicial trainees – described by one jury member as “the bright future of the European judiciary” – came together to present their views, challenge each other’s arguments, and explore key topics in European law.
Structured around four distinct legal themes, each Semi-Final offered a dynamic platform for critical debate, intellectual exchange and mutual learning. Participants submitted written papers ahead of each event and brought their arguments to life through a mix of formats: lectures, role-plays, video presentations and joint performances with fellow competitors.
As anticipation builds ahead of the 2025 Grand Final, which will take place on 9-12 December 2025 in Luxembourg, hosted for the first time by the Court of Justice of the European Union, take a look at some of the standout moments and results from this year’s Semi-Finals.
And did you know these 15 things about the THEMIS Competition?
Semi-Final A: EU and European Criminal Procedural Law
Host: Judicial Studies Committee, Malta
In Malta, teams debated urgent and complex topics including the war in Ukraine, the European Arrest Warrant, the criminalisation of irregular border crossings, and the role of encrypted communications in criminal justice.
- Winner: Team France
- Runner-up: Team Romania
- Third place: Team Germany
- Selected for the THEMIS Journal: Team Netherlands
- Qualified for the Grand Final:
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- Team France: Lorenzo Cuvier, Zoé Jocou, Constance Leclercq, Joan Pinet
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- Team Romania: Ana-Maria Balog, Iulian Berbece, Daniel-Cosmin Sporea, Ionut Gabriel Visinescu
Semi-Final B: EU and European Family Law
Host: Italian School for the Judiciary (SSM), Naples
After a first focus on administrative law last year, the Family Law Semi-Final returned, tackling themes such as gestational surrogacy, juvenile responsibility, and violence against women.
- Winner: Team Romania
- Runner-up: Team France
- Third place: Team Portugal
- Special Awards:
- Best Papers: Team Romania, Team France, Team Portugal
- Most Entertaining Performance: Team Czech Republic
- Qualified for the Grand Final:
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- Team Romania: Teodor-Georgian Căpățînă, Nicolae-Andrei Dumbravă, Raul Kapás-Vidan, Ioan Ilieș Neamț
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- Team France: Lucie Cartoux, Blandine Gundermann, Auriane Terki-Mignot, Nadjib Zenine
Semi-Final C: EU and European Civil Procedural Law
Host: Portuguese Centre for Judicial Studies, Lisbon
Held in Lisbon, this round covered issues such as data protection, access to justice, SLAPP lawsuits, and climate change litigation.
- Winner: Team Austria
- Runner-up: Team Germany
- Third place: Team France
- Special Awards:
- Best Papers: Team Austria, Team Italy I, Team Romania
- Best Performance: Team Netherlands
- Qualified for the Grand Final:
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- Team Austria: Sophia Beer, Benjamin Goltner, Felicitas Hinteregger, Maria Wittmann-Tiwald
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- Team Germany: Valerie Datzer, Benno Loew, Christian Magaard, Jakob Ulbrich
Semi-Final D: Judicial Ethics and Professional Conduct
Host: National Courts Administration, Vilnius
This Semi-Final explored the impact of public opinion on judicial independence, ethical challenges in AI-supported justice, and the boundaries of professional conduct.
- Winner: Team Italy II
- Runner-up: Team Greece
- Third place: Team Italy I
- Special Awards:
- Best Papers: Team Romania, Team Serbia
- Best Performance: Team Greece
- Qualified for the Grand Final:
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- Team Italy II: Laura Barbi, Stefano Finocchiaro, Giovanna Fortunato, Francesca Frazzi
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- Team Greece: Andromeda Ntakoula, Evgenia Papadopoulou, Foteini Paschou, Dimitra Theodorou
EJTN extends its sincere thanks to all the hosting institutions, tutors, and national coordinators whose dedication makes THEMIS possible. We also express our appreciation to the European Commission for its ongoing support of this initiative, which continues to inspire and connect Europe’s future judiciary.
To learn more about the THEMIS Competition, visit our website.
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