We are back with the second edition of the 2nd RMLNLU - SCC Online International Media Law Moot Court Competition 2014 from the 28th of February - 2nd of March 2014.

We are ready to bring to you a glimpse of our hospitality and intellectual brilliance of the participants as it unfolds. Over the next three days we shall see an intensified war of words tempered with aspirations and the chance of winning whatever the huge prize money is. How would we know, we have never been given any! 

We have 26 teams from across the country competing for the top honours and for about Rs 60,000, SCC Online Web Edition Platinum card including English Law One Year Subscriptions to Supreme Court Cases – Print Edition, Practical Lawyer Subscriptions and a truckload of trophies.

We are proud to have the following teams with us:

•          Amity Law School, Lucknow
•          Amity University, Delhi
•          Amity Law School, Noida
•          Amity University, Centre II, Noida
•          Bharatiya Vidyapeeth Deemed University New Law College, Pune
•          CLC, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, New Delhi
•          Faculty of Law, University of Allahabad, Allahabad
•          Government Law College, Mumbai
•          Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
•          Ideal Institute of Management and Technology (School of Law), New Delhi
•          ILS Law College, Pune
•          Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad
•          Jagannath University, Jaipur
•          Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
•          Jindal Global Law School, Haryana
•          Law School, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
•          National Law University Odisha, Cuttack
•          National University of Study and Research, Ranchi
•          Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala
•          School of Law, Christ University, Bangalore
•          SVKM’s NMIMS University, School of Law, Mumbai
•          SVKM’s Pravin Gandhi College of Law, Mumbai
•          Symbiosis Law School, Pune
•          University Five Year Law College, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur
•          University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun
•          W.B. National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata

Before it begins, we would like to thank our benevolent sponsors SCC Online for everything that they have done for the moot and we value the long standing relationship that we have had with SCC Online and Eastern Book Company.

Here's hoping that no team on the losing side would ask us to amend our blog like they did in our previous edition while we promise to make this blog better than last year and criticize everyone equally! #Sorry**LU! 

We will be back tomorrow with the updates of the inauguration ceremony and the final schedule for the preliminary rounds and everything that will follow.
See you tomorrow.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are here at the inauguration ceremony of the 2^nd RMLNLU SCC Online International Media Law Moot Court Competition, 2014. 

The swanky seminar hall is a packed room today. The Chief Guest for today’s event is Ms. Sunita Aron, Senior Resident Editor, Hindustan Times. We also have with us Shri Vijay Malik, Managing Director and Shri Summet Malik, Director of Eastern Book Company. Our Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Gurdip Singh takes great pleasure in welcoming all the dignitaries and participants.

We thank Mr. Subhiksh Vasudev for drafting the moot proposition. The issue this year concerns protection of journalistic sources and rights of the media.
 

5:30 PM - Prof Gurdip Singh wished all the participants well and also talked about the perils of crossing the thin line between freedom of press and the right to privacy. Balancing the appreciation he showered on journalists for positive media activism, he expressed concern on the issue of paid news and corporate ownership of media houses. 

5:55 PM - Mr. Vijay Malik lauded the efforts of the Moot Court Committee of RMLNLU and promised continued support.

6: 15 PM - Ms. Sunita Aron was quick to defend the criticism surrounding the media on sting operations and possibly violating the people’s right of privacy. The team here totally supports her, after all we have professional [read as placed] journalist in the house. 

The Vice Chancellor formally declared the event open. The participants are enjoying high tea while we bring you these updates. The students are going to have an added advantage of attending a live session on improving their legal search skills from the man himself, the Associate Editor of SCC Online, Mr. Sumeet Malik. 

7: 50 - The participants are now headed for the Memorial exchange and we already see tensed faces. One of the participants from Amity, Delhi just arrived with the boarding pass in his hands, when the registeration JUST ENDED at 4'o clock. 

 11: 03 - Good morning folks! We are running late by a few minutes for the 1st session of the preliminary rounds of the 2nd RMLNLU SCC Online International Media Law Moot Court Competition, 2014. We wish all the teams an amazing mooting experience. 

We also apologise for abruptly disappearing last night. The khaana-peena was absolutely engaging for us to return to our laptops. 

11:26 In court room number 5 it is NUSRL v Amity Noida, The first speaker from NUSRL is being asked questions on jurisdiction. The court room seems like a sticky wicket for the applicant’s side but the speaker seems to be on her front foot today.However, Mr. Vaibhav has many a bouncers in his repertoire and he says that the counsel ‘cannot just brush facts aside.’

11:32 – In Court Room No. 3, ILS Pune v. Amity Law Center II – The first three minutes of every speaker’s speech were reserved where judges were directed not to ask questions. We do not see anything like that happening where the ILS Female speaker is bombarded with the question the moment she started speaking.

11:39 The first speaker from NMINS has sailed smoothly and now the second speaker has just walked to the podium. She explains what the ICCPR is and the bench stops he right there. The judges have cut through beating round the bush like a knife through butter. NMINS v Jagannath University

11: 39 – Court Room No. 4, Amity Delhi v. Jindal – We understand that it is an international law moot but did we just go international? We could not fail to be impressed by the female speaker from Amity Delhi. 

 11:54 UPES v NUJS in Court room 7, Subhiksh Vasudev is in the court room and this surely is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure. This looks more like briefing of facts for the participants than the counsels arguing.

12:05 – Is the government competent is the question being asked in room No. 2 where Allahabad University is responding to CLC, Delhi. 

12: 17 Room 8, its Ideal Institute v Pravin Gandhi. The Bench questions the authority of DD Basu and the speaker from respondent’s side has difficulty convincing them. Something has got to hold this together. I am saying my prayers to Elmer (the Greek God of glue)

12:18 – We are back in Room No.4 where The Male Speaker of Jindal is putting a good show. 

12:31 The second speaker from the respondent side is rather animated with his hand movements and gestures. NLU O v Nirma University

Also, Vartika Jain is in the courtroom. Why don't we hear any fireworks then? 

We are back for the second preliminary trounds. The judges have had a taste of the participant’s intellectual prowess and they are hungry for more. Also, apologies for the slight glitches in the previous session!

1:42 Mr. Akash Prasad has a bagful of questions ranging from the difference between a committee and a commission to well, almost everything. Small tips for the mooters- cite cases for which you know the facts. The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t! Its Allahabad University v Jamia Islamia here.

Passing chits to the speaker at the podium is okay, but passing smiles and stealing glances? Really?

1 : 50 - It was a rare sight when we saw Aritra Roy listen keenly to the speaker trying to make a point. The speaker got a little off track when Aritra said, ‘okay, but so what?. In court Room No 3 where UYFC is fighting it out with Symbiosis Pune.

1:53 Amity Law School, Centre II v Campus Law Centre

 The judges want to know too many facts. For the speaker, I’d say- if you are going through hell, just keep going! 

1: 59 – Looks like the live blogging teams missed a goof up by the BVDU, Pune as we entered court room no 4 when the Second Speaker of the team was apologizing for the ‘chit – incident’. The usually strict judge, Vaibhav Sharma forgives and gives the speaker his protected few minutes. Lucky escape! Christ v. BVDU

2:07- Scintillating atmosphere in the courtroom where O.P Jindal is locking horns with ILS, Pune. The Jindal speaker is tougher than a nickel steak and bench seems to approve of him. The lady respondent speaker must immediately be hired by Mr. Shinde to ‘crush the media’, I’d say.  

2: 13 – The first speaker of Amity Lucknow has seemed to convince the judges that the law is in their favour. This seems to bring a lot of worry on the face of BHU who just finished with their arguments. Can the second speaker seal the victory for them in court room no 1?

2:22 Looks like the judges in Court Room 9 are in some hurry. By the time we reach the court room RGNUL and NUSRL, Ranchi are rebutting arguments. Once again, we have Mr. Subhiksh Vasudev, well, just being himself! ‘If I don’t light a matchstick properly in my kitchen, will it burn down the city, he says.’ Precautionary much?

2:32 - Why are we having a possibility of benefit of doubt in this democracy for the government? Is monitoring everyone’s act a democracy or is the government moving towards anarchy? The teams are finding a way to dodge such questions here in court room no. 3 as their round nears its end. UYFC, Jaipur v. Symbiosis Pune

2:35 It’s an Amity showdown here in Court Room, 8. Amity Law School, Noida v Amity Law School, Delhi. The judges once again, refuse to accept precedents for which the counsel cannot narrate the facts. The speaker mixing up showcause notice and cause of action in the rebuttal seemed to crack the judges up and Mr. Nitin Kaushal hasn’t stopped smiling! 

4:15 - We are back after lunch since when you come to Lucknow, you cannot go back without having amazing food. But we doubt whether the teams could enjoy the delicacies as the third preliminary round is scheduled right after lunch.

4: 23 – Half of the organizing committee has filed this courtroom no 1, where the first speaker from NUJS is showing brilliance in a moot court. There is something for everyone to learn here. Way to go, quite literally!  NUJS v. NMIMS

4:23- We see fumes in court room number 5 already. The power pack of Bhaskar Subramaniam and Vaibhav Sharma recused the first speaker from Jagannath University from arguing and made way for the second speaker. Extra points for showcasing Lucknowi Tehzeeb, they say and we yawn here. How bored is everyone? Jagannath University v BHU

4:25 It is Pravin Gandhi v UPES Dehradun here. Smooth sailing, as of now. Although in RML we take great pride in our hospitality, the lunch was a little too heavy?

4:31- The participants can be tired as oxen, but rest assured the judges will give them a swift kick here. BVPU v Jaipur University in Court Room number 7. The judge asks if the counsel is aware of Republic of India. A tough nut to crack, this one! 

4: 35 – In court room no 2, where Pravin Gandhi is fighting it out against UPES.The war of words just got a little intense between the female speaker from UPES and the judges. 

4:41- There seems to be a balanced two way discourse in Court Room number 8 where GNLU and Christ University are up against each other. This is our pick of the pack for this session.

 5:13 – The major issue of media houses being owned by corporate houses and political masters is being fiercely debated here in court room no. 1. But the first speaker of NMIMS has not lost her composure while arguing it out with the judges. Tough competition, NUJS.

That's a wrap of the preliminary rounds. We shall be back with more updates in a while. 

The preliminary rounds have come to an end. Based on a win-loss system, we have 7 teams which have directly qualified to the quarter finals and one team which has one win and one loss which has also made it to the quarters. The match ups are here.

Symbiosis, Pune v Christ University

GNLU v NUSRL, Ranchi

NUJS v Nirma University

Jindal University v Amity Law School, Lucknow.

Congratulations to the qualifying teams. It’s been a hard day of mooting and from what we hear the margins have been very close. The quarters are scheduled to begin in a few minutes! 

Symbiosis, Pune v Christ University

GNLU v NUSRL, Ranchi

NUJS v Nirma University

7: 09 – The NUJS first speaker is again on the podium but this time he is facing thedrafter of the problem in the quarter finals. Does not seem a smooth sail for him this time! 


Jindal University v Amity Law School, Lucknow.

7: 17 – A lot of chit passing is going on in this room and why not when we have our very own Mr. Sudeep Malik judging the participants in the fiercely argued quarter finals.