Empowering the Next Generation of Whistleblowing Lawyers: EWI Announces the Myers Moot Court Competition
The European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI) is delighted to announce the Myers Moot Court Competition, the first moot court exclusively dedicated to Whistleblowing Law in Europe. This moot court competition across Europe is designed to inspire the next generation of whistleblowing law professionals, whilst paying tribute to Anna Myers, a lawyer and advocate whose work continues to shape whistleblowing laws and practice globally. The Myers Moot Court Competition serves to both recognize Anna Myers’ leadership in whistleblowing and to create a lasting legacy for students across Europe who will learn, compete, and build networks through this program.
Anna Myers has dedicated the past two and a half decades to the field of whistleblowing, advising hundreds of individuals on their whistleblowing concerns, training senior executives and policy makers in the public and private sectors on embedding whistleblowing arrangements to support open and accountable workplaces and protect society, and advising numerous governments on whistleblowing law and practice. Since 2013, Myers has been at the helm of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN), which began as a voluntary network and is now an established network of NGOs around the world, and has brought a global dimension to whistleblowing. Her unwavering support for civil society affirms its role as a crucial actor at the frontline when whistleblowers face silence and isolation.
In commenting on the decision to name the moot court after Anna Myers, Dr Vigjilenca Abazi, EWI’s Executive Director, explained, “When I was first writing a legal memorandum on whether the European Union had the power to legislate on whistleblower protections back in 2015, I immersed myself in research. Some of the most compelling legal analysis of why whistleblowers must be legally protected had been authored by Anna. I was struck by the clarity of her reasoning, the sense of legal urgency, and the strength of her evidence-based arguments. A few years later, when we first met in Paris at a conference on creating legal protections for whistleblowers in Europe, I was even more inspired. Alongside this sharp legal mind stood the kindest and most compassionate lawyer. It is precisely this combination that, at EWI, we hope to instill in the next generation of lawyers working on EU whistleblowing law: rigorous legal analysis grounded in compassion. ”
“Excellent lawyers must master what Anna embodies in her work: an understanding not only of the law, but also of the individual behind the disclosure, and of the broader ecosystem in which the law operates.”
Anna Myers was first invited to the Council of Europe to address the Group of States Against Corruption in 2002 and has since participated in numerous hearings and events at the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly and at the European Parliament. She advised the Council of Europe Committee that drafted the 2014 Recommendation on the protection of whistleblowers and is the author of the 2023 Council of Europe evaluation report on the protection of whistleblowers in Europe, analyzing whistleblower protection frameworks across the 46 member states.
She ensured WIN’s expertise informed the detail of the EU Whistleblower Directive and has worked on major international standard-setting legal instruments and guidance on the protection of whistleblowers for the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Standardization Organization. Most recently, she drafted the International Federation of Accountants and CPA-Canada Report Understanding Whistleblower Protection: Laws, Practices, Trends and Key Implementation Considerations. Anna Myers completed her legal education in Canada and is a Member of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Speaking of her own moot court experience as a law student, Anna Myers said, “I remember my Constitutional Law Moot Court Trial in my final year at Law School very well. What a nerve-wracking, humbling, and formative experience that was. Despite all of that, I managed to find enjoyment in the test.”
“It is so important to give young and learning legal minds of all ages the opportunity to test themselves in front of peers, respected senior advocates, teachers, judges, and, of course, most excitingly, for all of us to learn from them.”
With this competition, EWI aims to inspire students not only to understand the growing body of EU Whistleblowing Law, but also to see themselves as part of a far larger mission and vision of advancing whistleblower empowerment, acceptance, and safeguarding. The moot court will connect the students with generations of lawyers who have advanced the field of whistleblowing and allow them to understand the role they can play in building a culture of integrity.
Commenting on this announcement, Dr Lauren Kierans, EWI’s Director of Education, said, “The Myers Moot Court Competition provides a wonderful opportunity for students to critically engage with and expand their understanding of whistleblowing law. Through the requirements of rigorous research, the preparation of written memorials, and the delivery of oral submissions, the Myers Moot Court Competition cultivates students’ proficiency in formulating persuasive legal arguments and advances their advocacy skills.”
“Participation in the Myers Moot Court Competition will contribute to shaping the next generation of whistleblowing lawyers, whilst furthering EWI’s mission to advance the empowerment, recognition, and protection of whistleblowers.”
The Myers Moot Court Competition is part of Project BRIGHT (Building Resilience through Integrity, Good Governance, and Honesty Training), 101143232, which is co-funded by the European Commission.
