Attended moot court competition: more than 300
The fifth “Gavelled” moot court competition was held by Lovely Professional University (LPU) at the Shanti Devi Mittal Auditorium and its school of law. Three hundred legal students from fifteen Indian states and UTs, representing fifty-two prestigious law schools, attended the event. The competition sought to provide a broad forum for law students to demonstrate their aptitude for advocacy and their practical understanding of the law.
The “socio-criminal issue faced by innocent people living in society” was explored in this year’s moot subject. The competitors had to present their arguments before a panel of distinguished judges and attorneys who acted as the jury throughout the course of three days of the competition. The students cross-examined witnesses, made arguments and counterarguments, and offered proof to back up their claims.
Hon. Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati of the Rajasthan High Court, Hon. Justice Nitin R. Borkar, a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court, and Hon. Justice Makarand Subhash Karnik, also of the Bombay High Court, presided over the competition’s final round on the valedictory day. The quality of the arguments presented by the pupils pleased the judging members. Rashmi Mittal, the pro-chancellor of LPU, was the day’s honoured guest.
At the competition’s opening, Justice Talwant Singh, a permanent judge of the High Court of Delhi, together with LPU Chancellor Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal—an advocate himself—stated that the goal of these contests is to provide students with valuable real-world experience in the legal field. Here, students may put their newly acquired information to use and hone their legal acumen.
Students who participated were awarded awards totaling Rs 1 lakh in various categories. The winning team was from Christ University in Bangalore, with Punjab University (Regional Campus) in Ludhiana coming in second. The Best Speaker Award went to Jasmeen Kaur of St. Soldier Law College (Jalandhar); the Best Memorial Award went to Symbiosis Law School of Pune; and the Best Researcher Award went to Shreyash Dubey of Dr. BR Ambedkar National Law University, Sonipat.
Through their interactions with the law students, the judges learned about the students’ perspectives on a range of societal topics, such as same-sex marriage, teenage relationships, transgender status, and more. As students gained knowledge from the highest courts, the tournament turned out to be a fantastic educational opportunity.
