The Third SAARCLAW Moot court competition was successfully concluded at Jagran Lakecity University (JLU) on 28th February, with leading law colleges from across India participating. The current situation at the Indo-China Border, trade relations and growing international interference in Indian waters were the key points around which the mooting revolved. After an intense mooting battle and argumentation, two teams finally out of 28 participating colleges entered the final round to vie for winning prize money of INR 1.5 Lakhs.
The final bench of judges comprised of renowned names such as Hon’ble Justice Atul Shreedharan, Madhya Pradesh High Court, Hon’ble Justice Ved Prakash Sharma, Chairman of the State Law Commission of Madhya Pradesh, Prof. (Dr.) V. Vijayakumar, Vice Chancellor of NLIU Bhopal and Mr. C.S. Lodha, Senior Advocate and Managing Partner of C.S. Lodha Associates.
While the team of University Institute of Legal Studies, Chandigarh emerged victorious, the team representing Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala came at the runners-up position. Rakshit Taneja of University Institute of Legal Studies, Chandigarh was awarded as the best speaker while Arif Majruddin of Jamia Milia Islamia University was adjudged as the best researcher. Best memorial was given to the team NLIU, Bhopal. Total prize money of INR of INR 3.25 lakhs was disbursed during the tournament.
Keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic, the entire three day event was virtually conducted by JLU, hosted under the seasoned purview of JLU’s Faculty of LAW. The inaugural ceremony of the event was graced by the presence of Shri Vivek K. Tankha, Member of Parliament and Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India as the Chief Guest and Prof. (Dr.) Subir K. Bhatnagar, Vice Chancellor, Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow. Representing Jagran Lakecity University at the inauguration were, Dr. Sandeep Shastri, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Yogendra Srivastava, Dean – Faculty of Law and Prof. Vivek Khare, Registrar.
Shri Tankha in his inaugural address emphasized the challenges of the legal profession and nuances of virtual hearings during COVID-19 pandemic. He heartily complimented the University especially the faulty of law for organizing this highly coveted International Moot Court Competition virtually amid the crisis. Later, Prof. Bhatnagar shed light on the importance and relevance of moot court competitions and emphasized their role in the overall growth of law students. He stated examples of various judicial pronouncements and asserted that it is the efforts of hard-working lawyers that contribute to groundbreaking developments in law and jurisprudence.
Speaking at award ceremony, Prof. Yogendra Srivastava, Dean – Faculty of Law, JLU, said, “It is a great honour to receive the thanks from our guests who praised the efforts of Faculty of Law of Jagran Lakecity University. We are happy to keep the mooting tradition going especially during the unprecedented challenge of the pandemic and such esteemed individuals judging the exciting final lap of the competition, marked a historic day in the JLU Mooting history.”
An esteemed member of the Global Law Alliance, Jagran School of Law at JLU has made its name as one of the brightest lights in India’s legal academic ecosystem. For the 2021-22 session, Jagran School of Law will offer 30 scholarships to meritorious applicants based on their LSAT scores, with a view to improve equity in – and access to – legal education for students across India.