An excellent mooter is an able researcher, articulator and receptive listener: Justice Chandra at Amity

NEW DELHI, MARCH 11: National Law Institute University, Bhopal lifted the winner's trophy of 18th National Moot Court Competition organized by Amity Law School Noida.

Dr Justice Satish Chandra, Former Judge, Allahabad High Court addressing the students said multifaceted requirements of an excellent mooter require one to be an able researcher, able communicator, able articulator of facts and law, patient and receptive listener and a well-mannered body language.

This year’s moot problem was based on the concepts of Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. The objective of the competition was to integrate practical and legal insight and the spirit of teamwork amongst budding legal professionals. Around 24 teams from various eminent law colleges across the nation including Symbiosis Law School, Pune, National Law University Jodhpur, SVKM Narsee Monji, Mumbai, Christ University Bangalore, National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata amongst other participated in the competition.

Justice Chandra appreciated the problem that was drafted for the moot court competition since it was based upon contemporary issues of sedition and defamation. He further commented upon the menace of fake news in the current times and expressed his agony over the inefficiency of the laws and administrative agencies to arrest the rampant fake news creators. He pointed out that such cases are consequently forced to be dealt with under the Indian Penal Code because of the non-availability of specific and strong laws to counter fake news with the tendency to cause defamation.

Illustrating the benefits of moot competitions, Prof. Dr.Nuzhat Parveen Khan. Professor of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia said that mooting activity helps the students to understand the problems and issues from both the sides of the petitioner/appellant and the respondent. Prof Khan narrated an anecdote where a senior lawyer, during a case, erroneously started arguing from the opposite party’s issues. She pointed that the lawyer after being pointed about his mistake quickly controlled the awkward situation before the bench by admitting that the arguments that had been making were all that could’ve been raised by the opposite party and he would then have demolished each one of them. Prof. Khan advised the students to be cautious while having arguments and must always be prepared to control any situation.

After highly competitive rounds, teams from Christ University Bangalore; Symbiosis Law School, Pune; Institute of Law, Nirma University and National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal were selected for the semi-finals. Proving their mettle in the semi-finals, teams from Symbiosis Law School, Pune and NLIU, Bhopal reached the final round wherein through their combative debating skills team from National Law Institute University, Bhopal emerged as the winner of Amity National Moot Court Competition.

To encourage students towards performing their best, Student of the Year Awards and Best Student Award were bestowed during the valedictory ceremony.  Student of the Year Award was presented to Anjali Tripathi and Ragini Kanungo, 2nd year students, Amity Law School Delhi; Shreya Jha, 3rd year, Amity Law School Delhi; Gayatri Virmani, 4th year, Amity Law School Delhi and Akshat Shaunak, 5th year, Amity Law School Delhi. Best Student Award was conferred upon Ashita Alag.