National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi is organising the 2nd OP. Jalan Memorial National Moot Court Competition, 2018 from 16th to 18th of March 2018. The prestigious competition aims to test the participants on the intricacies of taxation law which in itself is one of the significant touchstones of a career in law. The  event is undoubtedly one of the  most eminent moot court competition in the field of taxation across the country.

To access the moot problem click here.

This year the event has reached new milestones by receiving quality participation across the nation. The teams participating are as follows:-

1. NUJS, Kolkata.

2. NUALS, Kochi.

3. RGNUL, Punjab.

4. GNLU, Gandhinagar.

5. GLC, Mumbai.

6. Symbiosis Law School, Pune.

7. Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.

8. UPES, Dehradun.

9. Amity Law School, Noida.

10. Christ University, Bengaluru.

11.Sastra University, Chennai.

 A taxation moot court competition is one of the most extensive yet exhaustive in the stages of preparation as well as deliverance. It tests almost all the critical and inevitable tools which aid the resolvance of a particular question of law i.e, researching ability, drafting skills and subsequently, the art of arguments. Moreveover, the present proposition is a perfect blend of substantive question of law and the scope for improvisation by the budding lawyers via multiple interpretations.

The competition shall commence on 16th March with events such as the Registration of teams, Researcher's test and the Draw of lots. On 17th, the crucial Prelimnary rounds, Quarter Finals and penultimately the Semi finals shall take place. Subsequently, on 18th , ultimately, the grand finale shall take place between two of the most efficient and dynamic teams in the course of the competition.  since inception, NUSRL, Ranchi has focused on fair and unbais judgement because we know the importance it holds in keeping up the morales of the paticipatants and to insure the same the rounds of the competition shall be  adjudged by the honourable and prestigious judges of different courts and renowned dignitaries. 

we will keep you updated about all the crucial news and information throughout the competition and the subsequent progress of the event. so folks, we are on the verge of witnessing something pretty extraordinary in the upcoming days. 
Wishing all the participants, All the best and may the best team win!

Stay tuned, as there is a lot more in store....

Day 1 - Registration, Researcher's Test & Draw of Lots 

3:30 P.M - The much awaited event commences with the traditional strike of registration of all the diligent teams across the country with  a token of appreciation. while the committee members make the final preparations for the innaugration ceremony, the participants are served with some delicious muffins!!

 

 4:30 pm - Researcher's test-  the tension rises up in the room as the researchers of each team battle to bag the best researcher's trophy.

  

 OPENING CEREMONY-

4:45 pm- The opening ceremony is about to begin. NUSRL, Ranchi takes the opportunity to welcome the esteemed guests and the participants. After months of hard work put together by the committee members, the moment is finally here. The stage is set and the dignitaries are prepared to motivate the participants for the upcoming competition. 

Rabindra pathak, Chairperson, moot court committee takes the dias and warmly welcomes the participants in the university with an inspiring speech wherein he speaks about the importance of moot court competitions.

Participants are further encouraged by Ms. Nidhi Khare, Principle Secretary, Health, who interacts with the auidence,  where she advises the students to develop the correct approach towards life and also shares her life changing experiences which the made the auidence spellbound. Also, Dr. M R Sreenivasa murthy, regigstrar, NUSRL, imparted knowledge about complexities in law and explained that the mantra of sucess was not to win but to learn from the competition. 

The Vice Chancellor of the university Mr. Gautam Kumar Choudhury in his address appreciates the participants for choosing the roads less taken. He emphasizes that taxation law Is a technical and convulated subject which demands assiduous work along with self determination. He acknowledges that the teams had the iron to take up the challenge which was indeed a tough nut to crack. 

 

 Last but not the least the alumni of NUSRL, Mr. Parth Jalan, associate @ OP. Jalan and associates, in his speech discusses the importance of mooting in law school. The speech is well recieved with rapt attention. 

5:30 pm- All the guests are presented with a palnt sapling as a part of our endeavour to save mother Earth.

5:45pm- The Hon'ble Vice Chancellor declares the 2nd OP. Jalan Memorial Moot Court Competition OPEN.

6:00 pm- Draw of slots were followed by exchange of memorials. 

JUDGES 

DAY 2-  17/03/2018 PRELIMINARY ROUNDS, QUARTER FINALS AND SEMI FINALS.

 It is time to raise the curtains for the event. The preliminary rounds have started as per the schedule.

COURT ROOM 1- OPJ 06 V. OPJ 01.

 10:35 am- The judges Mr. Ganga Nand Choudhary and Mr. Ajit have arrived in the courtroom as the preliminary round commence the participants are putting forth their best arguments to beat their opponents.

11:33am- The respondent  speaker has been warned for contempt of SC for referring to an inappropriate case.

11:39am- The spekaer finally concludes his argument after being given an extension of 2 minutes and proceeds to the prayer

11:42am- The counsel on behalf of the appellants proceeds for the rebuttal and the respondent aptly tries to reply to their opponent submissions

11:46am- The  judges are involved in a discussion and are marking the teams as both teams look on with anticipation.

11:50am- The judges wished luck to both the teams and that concludes the proceedings of the 1st Court Room in the 2nd edition.

COURT ROOM 2-  OPJ 03 V. OPJ 02

10:34am- The first speaker for the appellant began with the side's arguments . The start was very good and she seemed confident . It seems they have done there research work well.

10:38am-During the last few minutes there was some confusion between the team mates as after dealing with first two issues she said that her co councel will deal with it but later came back and addressed the third issue herself after apologizing to the judges .

10:48am- As the second speaker begin with herarguments some tough questions were shooted by the judges  but she tackled all of them really well .

10:50am- The counsel for the respondent approaches the dice with confidence but it was tested as soon as she began with her arguments as the judges showered number of questions puting her calmness to test.

10:56am- Oh my! My! Did she just adress the bench as Sir? The bench doesnt seem to appreciate it much.The counsel is inrteruptted by the bench as she failed to complete her

arguments in the allotted time.

11:00am- The second speaker tried to make an impact at the very beginning with her firm voice and legally sound arguments.

11:10am- The bench is not showing any empathy or sympathy towards the counsel and are constantly shooting questions at him. The counsel is trying to answer all the questions to his optimum capacity. whether the bench is satisfied can be known only we get the results in hand.

11:20am- The panel of judges is very well informed and is scrutinizing both the teams well . But both the teams have worked really hard and have researched well cause they provided satisfactory answers to all the questions. Some tips fir the future were also provided by the judges to the appellant team . And with this the first round comes to an end.

COURT ROOM 3-OPJ 04 V. OPJ 12

10:10am- As the procceding begins and the speaker on behalf of the appellant initiates the argument fluently with some crisp questions by the bench on statement of facts and the application of law. 

10:40am-The speaker 1 on behalf of the appellant concludes her argument by answering some core queries by the bench on the question of law of the present proposition.

10:55am- The speaker 1 subsequently concludes her argument by the showcase of some evident argumentative tacts and efficacious interpretation, application of law.

11:00am - The speaker 2 initiates her argument with a touch of brisk and pertinent knowledge of law regarding the proposition, but she too isn't spared from the shooting queries of the bench.

11:15am - The speaker 2 concludes her argument by summarising her issues of contention in a short yet efficacious manner with a decent portrayal of courtroom ettiquettes.

11:20am - The speaker 1 on behalf of of the respondent, refutes the arguments of the appellant in a critical but polite manner and simultaneously addressing all the queries of the bench.

11:35am - The speaker 1 concludes her set of contentions with a blatant outlook of flamboyance but the judges show no mercy and shower her with queries.

11:40am - The speaker 2 gives an efficient overview of her proceeding arguments in a subtle but efficient manner throughout her set of arguments and concludes on similar lines on the touchstone of the being informative and voluble.

 

COURT ROOM 4-  OPJ 09 V. OPJ11

10:00am- The court setting is thus in place, the teams on the sides of appellant and the respondent are shuffling through books and seem prepared to deliver their best.

respected judges Mr. Subhash & Mr. Suman Kumar Gupta have taken their seats and the appellant seeks permission to begin. counsel 1 keeps forward their argument to which judges nod in agreement...about the major difference between contractor and developer.

10:25 am-  the judges are engrossed listening to the arguments of counsel 1 as hr commences with the last issue. meanwhile, courtmaster raised the placard for time out, counsel pleaded to seek an extension of 2 min. the judges ask for further clarification on the issue.

10: 42 am- counsel 1 invites co-counsel for further proceedings. counsel 2 on behalf of appellant seeks permission to argue in front of the bench. The judges nod in agreement as the counsel 2 presents his contention. Judges put forward an question before the counsel to clarify wheather it is clear that the person in question is a contractor or developer

10:45 am- very intriguing dialouge exchange is taking place between the counsel and the bench. for satisfying the queries of the hon'ble court ,counsel cites various cases and judgements mentioned in the respective written submission before the court. the counsel seeks permission to proceed with the prayer the bench grants permission for the same. the respondent await their turn while judges discuss concerned issues.

10:50 am- The counsel on the behalf of respondent has now come to the podium.The counsel presents contentions on the behalf of respondent. Court master assists the judges with the memorials. the arguments are heating up as the judges start with the gruelling derailing of the teams.

COURT ROOM 5- OPJ 10 V. OPJ 8

10:00 am-  The oral submissions start. The first speaker from the Appellant’s side begin with his side of the case with a brief statement of facts which are intently heard by the Lordship.

10:49 am- The speaker strongly supports his issues, but the Lordships are keen on putting his research to a thorough test, by asking him the relevant questions.

10:50 am- The second speaker from the Appellant’s side proceeds for submission of arguments.

10:53 am-The Lordships seek the prayer before listening to the issues that follow. This tenses the team, but the second speaker gracefully answers all the questions posed to him.

11:01am- The second speaker is subjected to the immense experiences and knowledge held by the Lordships, who question him on the intricacies of the matter. The speaker puts the best of his efforts to convince the Lordships.

11:06 am-The speaker is asked to proceed with the next issue, while the researcher could look up a substantial part of one of the judgments quoted by the speaker. The prayer to be heard after the rebuttal.

11:09 am-The first speaker from the Respondent's side approached the dais for the oral submissions.

11:15 am- The speaker is asked questions pertaining to the interpretation of a contention made in the written submissions. The expressions held by the Lordships are too neutral to understand if they are convinced or not.

11:22 am- The speaker, not losing her calm, puts up fresh arguments defending the issues raised by her. The Lordships continue with the questions on possible interpretations, which are answered by the speaker.

11:28 am-The research of the Respondent's side is put to careful scrutiny through the questions posed by the Lordship. The speaker asked to sum up her contentions in the next 3 minutes.

11:35 am- The second speaker is asked to say the prayer before proceeding with her scheme of issues. The Lordships have an eye for detail, and seek the speaker's attention towards the jurisdiction stated.

11:43 am-The Lordships contest an inconsistency in the arguments, and the speaker supports the coherence in her line of arguments.

11:50 am-The counsel for the Respondent rests. That paves the path for the appellant to begin with their rebuttal. The appellant pin points the flaws in the arguments of the respondents in their rebuttal.

With the end of rebuttal it concludes the proceedings in this court room. The bench rises.

COURT ROOM 6- OPJ 5 V. OP 7

10:18 am-The first judge has just arrived in the court room. Every one is sitting in a calm and composed way waiting for the round to start.

10:19 am- The other panelist has also taken its place.

10:21 am- The judges are now going through the docket provided to them and performing the requisites.

10:22 am-The first speaker from appellants side has started his arguments. And presented his memorial to the panalists. The speaker 1 is stating the facts of the case.

10:27 am-The speaker after stating the facts and telling the structure of the issues has now started his arguments. He is very well using the statutes to prove is points correct.

10:30 am-The speaker is till now is moving very smoothly without any questions raised by the panalists

10:33 am- The speaker dealt with the 1st question of the bench satisfactorily

10:35 am-Now it's the turn of the speaker 2 from appellants side.

10:39 am-The respondents discussing some points amongst themselves and planning their strategy. The speaker has moved till here very smoothly without much questions asked by the panel .

10:43 am-The speaker concludes her arguments with the prayer.

10:45 am-The Judges are having some discussion among themselves. Now here comes the turn of the repondent.

10:47 am-The 1st speaker approaches the dias for her arguments. She very well laid the structure of her arguments that are to be stated furthur.

10:56 am-The bench quickly gets into action and immediately starts shooting questions at the speaker. The speaker takes a moment to compose herself and start answering the questions.

11:00 am-The first speaker concludes her argument without much of hassle. The second speaker approaches the dias. She very well structured her arguments and concluded it.

11:06 am-The speaker now proceeds towards the prayer.

11:07 am-The speaker from the applleants side has started putting his side for rebuttal.

11:08 am- Now here comes the speaker from the respondents side.

11:09 am- The speaker very firmly explain her points to the opposite council as well as the panelists

11:10 am- Here the speaker from the appellants side has again arrived at the dias to put his points.

11:12 am-A continuous process of rebuttal is going on in a beautiful manner. The speakers seem quite confident with their answers.

Now here the 1st round of the competition ends. The teams have left the court room and the panelists are having some discussion . The next rounds will resume soon after.

PRELIMINARY ROUNDS- 2.

COURT ROOM 1-  OPJ 11 V. OPJ 06

Mr. Sanjeev Chaurasia and Mr. A. C. Lal

12.14 With the first preliminary rounds concluded, the teams gear up for the second round. The memorials submitted by the parties are under an alert scrutiny of the judges.

12.24 The situation is a little perturbed, as the Lordships question the research of the Appellant’s side over a statement made by the first speaker in her introductory (speech?)

12.31 The Lordships, well versed with the recent happenings, quote a recent Judgment which wasn't in consonance with the Appellant’s line of arguments. The knowledge of the Judgement caught the speaker unawares.

12.43 The first speaker rests, giving way to the second. The second speaker appears to have full faith in the arguments she would advance; but the contentions made by the Lordships compel her to rethink her understanding of the issue.

12.51 The Lordships seem to accuracy over time. They insist that the speaker put his efforts in convincing them without being too concerned about the limited time.

13.00 The speaker seeks permission to confer with the researcher before answering. However, the request was met with a denial, with the Lordships allowing her to answer the question during the rebuttal.

13.08 The Lordships suggest that, following the arguments as they were advanced in the last issue by the appellants, the matter might go against the Appellant.

COURT ROOM 2- OPJ 2 V. OPJ 10

Judges- Mr. Suman Kumar Gupta and Mr. Subhash

COURT ROOM 3- OPJ 8 V. OPJ 3

JUDGES- Mr. Mainan Ray and Mr. DFK Baha

COURT ROOM 4-  OPJ 11 V. OPJ 06

Mr. Sanjeev Chaurasia and Mr. A. C. Lal

12:14-  the judges have arrived in the court room. The teams are ready to set the ball rolling. Speaker 1 from the appellant side confidently commences with the arguments.

12:22 – the speaker 1 wraps up his arguments and invites her co- counsel to proceed further with the issues.

12:25- Speaker 2 is grilled by the judges. However, the counsel is calm in his approach and he very efficiently satisfying the judges with his contentions.

12:33- the speaker rests his case and seeks permission to proceed with prayer.

12:36- speaker 1 from the respondent’s side is soft spoken. He eloquently argues before the bench. The judges listen with rapt attention. The bench nods in agreement by the contentions put forward by the speaker 1.

12:40- the judges asked the counsel to clarify the point contented by the appellant in their written submission.  The judges pay heed to the suggestions put forward by the counsel speaker 1 on behalf of the respondent. Further, the speaker 2 was invited to take the dais.

12:48- In the first few minutes the speaker struggles to convince the judges with his arguments. however, the judges demand more clarification various points raised by the respondent in their written submission.

12:56- The rebuttal round begins. Speaker 1 from the appellant very confidently presents her arguments, which appears to persuade the judge.

01:00 pm- Speaker 1 on behalf of the respondent rebuts the contention of the appellants to which the judges nod their head in agreement. However, the judges demand further clarification the issues.

01:00 pm- The bench asked the appellant to appear for Sub Rebuttal.

01:06 pm- speaker 1 on behalf of the respondent responds to the contention raised by the opponents.

COURT ROOM 5- OPJ 10 V. OPJ 3

Mr. Vivek Raj and K. Pramanik

COURT ROOM 6-  OPJ 01 v OPJ 04

Judges- Mr. S.B. Sharma & K. Pramanik

The speaker from the appellant's side has started giving his arguments. He seems a bit nervous. On the other hand his  from the appellant's side is listening him very carefully and goes through the memorial with throbbing heart. The speaker 1 has gained good confidence and is very expressive and the use of voice modulation has made his arguments interesting.

12:28am- The judges are paying attention to the minute details of the argument also and which is making the speaker little cautious toward the words he is saying. The judges allowed an extension of 1 min to the speaker to prove his points.

12:32 am-The speaker 2 very confidently arrives to the Dias. The opponents are very sincerely paying attention to each and every argument.

12:36 am- Here the panelist poses a question which made the speaker nervous , the researcher passed a chit for helping his Co council, after which he articulated his answer in a very impressive way.

12:39 am-The appellants prayed before the lordship and asked for the much sought releif. The speaker from the side of the respondent by seeking permission from the lordship moved confidently to the dias and address the bench.

12:42 am-The speaker 1 of the respondent is indeed very clear with her arguments and to prove them referred to an annexure which seems to have impressed the lordship. Series of question are posed by the judges  but she with her apt reply stole the show. As the time passes, she speeds up her pace a bit so that any point is not left uncovered which could act as deterrent for her team.

12:48 am-The speaker in a very impressive manner cited a case as a precedent which made her arguments way powerful. The prayer for extension of time was accepted and the judges very beautifully used it to ask a few tricky questions to the speaker . Understanding the trick and after analyzing the question for a moment she came back with a satisfactory answer.

12:55 am-The opposite council is jotting down the important points for rebuttal .

12:57 am- on the end of time alloted to speaker 1 she takes permission to leave and her Co council moves towards the dias. The structure of the arguments was laid well for the upcoming few minutes.however, after few minutes the speaker fumbled which made the auidence sitting in the court room anxious.

1:05 pm- In order to ask some question from the speaker the judges exchanged some Words. Due to nervousness the speaker forgot to pray but after a moment he realised it and moved further and was able to manage the situation. The teams moved for rebuttal round and the speaker from the side of the appellant raised his 1st contention and asked for clarification from the opposite side. The speaker from the side of the respondent in a very poised and calm way kept all her points and answered all the questions trued her beat to satisfy the bench and the opposite council. Gradually the situation is becoming tensed as the question and answer process is proceeding but the team members are able to manage the heat well.

1:13 pm- After so much arguments and submissions the proceedings of the court comes to an end for this round.

After a long 2 hours of Preliminary rounds 8 Teams have qualified for the next round. The succesful teams are: (in no order of merit)

OPJ 08

OPJ 02

OPJ 05 

OPJ 01

OPJ 10 

OPJ 03

OPJ 11

OPJ 09

 

 KUDOS TO THE TEAM!!

 

 QUARTER FINALS-

. The Schedule for the quarters is as follows- 

OPJ 08 V. OPJ 02

OPJ 05 V. OPJ 01

OPJ 10 V. OPJ 03

OPJ 11 V. OPJ 09

 

 

COURT ROOM 3-  OPJ 8 V. OPJ 2

JUDGES- Mr. Ajit & Mr. Sanjeev chaurasia 

2:32 The panel arrived and all the members of both the teams got ready for the delivery of arguments and giving submissions. The speaker 1 of appellant's team came for her submissions and in a very well planned manner layer the structure of the arguments to be stated further.

2:40 The speaker now is providing reference of annexure for proving her point. The appelent team is very carefully listening the arguments presented by her team mate and the same is being done by the opposite team. There is some shuffling of papers between the panel and the appellant. Panelist 1 has some query on the argument, and she explains her point and kept her point which left the panelists satisfied.

2:47 She proceeded with the facts and on the order of the respected judge moved directly to the arguments. She gave her arguments in a very well articulated manner and substantially backing it by the set precedents.

2:51 The 1st speaker has concluded her submissions, and the 2nd speaker of the respondent now begins her submissions and lays down her structure. However the judges broke her flow itself in the 1st line by posing a question before her. She was unable to get the question at first but then handled it pretty good and moved further. While delivering the argument the speaker was interrupted by the judges for making the facts and the arguments more clear. The panel poses a question before the speaker 2 and the speaker made her point clear and submitted that the posed point was not of such relevance in this case so, it was not dealt by them.

2:56 The speaker 2 moves to the next contention and with the help of the precedents and references tries to prove that the tribunal in which the matter was decided was a quasi judicial body and the order can't be considered as binding. The speaker 2 now starts the next issue and tries to proves that the statutory provisions are to be interpreted according to the words written in it and not according to some assumptions.

3:03 On the other side , the respondents are furiously scribbling , perhaps already forming their rebuttal questions. The last issue faced a lot of query by the panelists and most of them were handled well. The speaker 2 gives some points in defence, taking assistance from the anexures. She then recites her prayer and rests her case.

3:11 The respondent side begins their submission and the 1st speaker begins with the explanation of the structure of the arguments. She is interrupted by the judge regarding the nexus between the cited the case and the facts of the present case. This takes the respondents aback. She tries to defend herself by giving some points but the judges didn't looked so satisfied . Nevertheless, the speaker 1 continues to argue with the permission of the panel, and is almost immediately interuppted by the judge again.

3: 18 The judge asked her some question but she was unable to answer it and the panel making a reference to the opposite team asked a question to them for clarity and showed the same document to the speaker and told her to check her facts again.

3:23 The panel started grilling the speaker and almost tricked her with the question that whether she is contending to be the developer or the contracter. She used precedents and statutes to define both the terms but was facing a bit problem in that but continued to defend herself.

3:25 The matter seems to be heated a bit. The speaker is not able to answer the question posed by the panel and was given 5 minutes time to consult with her Co team mates. He asked her for a pin point answer on it after the granted time. On the other side, the appellant's team seems to be relieved a bit and exchanged a few words discussing their furthur conduct. The matter is very much tensed on the r soon dent 's side and all the team members are very tensed as they are searching for an appropriate answer for the asked question. The clock is ticking fast and the time given is going to its end. In the time being the judges exchanged some words.

3:30 The time is over and the speaker is back with an answer but their are continued interruptions made by the judges and the speaker is facing problem in proving her points. With the permission of the panel the speaker 1 moves to the next issue.

3:34 The second speaker for the respondent begins with his issue, and divides into contentions. The speaker attracts the attention of the panalist to various provisions.

3:40 The panelists are back in the grilling mode. Panelist requires the speaker 2 to clarify a doubt., which he does but it is followed by a series of other questions. The speaker is facing some problem in answering the question as the panelists are not accepting as the desired answer, but the speaker presents some points to defend himself and at last become successful on doing so.

3:48 The panelists are listening intently and it seems like the questions have been put on a hold for a while. The speaker is moving smoothly with all his issues without much interruptions . The prayer is submitted by the respondent side and the rebuttal is going to start.

3:50 As the round comes to an end with only rebuttals left for the participants to argue. The appellant in their rebuttals is stating that the respondents were not able to prove that they were the developers and on further on being asked by the paenalists about any factual error on the side of the respondent, the appellant points out some of them and tells the court that the opposite side has not referred to the proposition in order to prove their facts. The respondent's side is taking more time to answer the opposite side , so the judges advised to go for asking questions if any.

As the stop sign flashes, "we have come to the end of the quarter final round" . And it was treat to the eyes to watch the arguments from both the sides.

COURT ROOM 4- OPJ 05 V. OPJ 01

JUDGES- Mr. Suman Kumar Gupta & Mr. Subhash

02:36pm-The counsel on the behalf of appellant states a brief outline of the facts. Speaker 1 is laden with confidence presents his arguments and legal issues.

02:48pm-A lot of questioning from the judges towards Counsel 1, who respectfully, responds to all of their queries. Resting his contentions, he further invites his co-counsel to continue.

02:50pm- Speaker 2 on the behalf of appellant reaches the dias and presents his arguments before the bench. Seeking permission from the bench to move ahead with his next issue, and is willing to clarify any query the bench has.

02:57 pm- The judges are not shying away from taking shots and questioning the counsel’s every move. This is getting interesting.

02:59 pm- The counsel (speaker 2) presenting the appellants case is already being showered with questions and doubts by the judges.

03:01 pm- The judges are asking counsel 2(Respondents) a lot of questions and also expressing their doubts, which the counsel is trying to address up to his full potential. The counsel has exceeded the sanctioned time period and seeks extension which is readily granted.

03:04pm- Counsel 2 has finished presenting the case and is summarizing the arguments and issues stated by him throughout the arguments. The counsel then ends the presentation by stating the prayers of the petitioners.

03:05pm- Speaker 1 representing the respondents has approached the bench with their permission and is now presenting the respondents case. Judges seem impressed by the oratory skills of the respective counsel.

03:09 pm- Speaker 1 has done his homework quite well. Self-assured by his contentions he presents his case before the bench. Very firm with his arguments, he clarifies the doubts of the bench and cites the important lines from the moot propagation to satisfy them with the same.

03:23 pm-The judges seem to have a lot of queries and speaker 1 seems to be running into some difficulties while presenting his case but is trying his best to explain the case to the bench by readily responding to all their queries. The judges seem satisfied by his responses.

03:25pm- The counsel seeks time extension to complete his point. The judges start grilling and to his best potential he tries to answer all the questions raised by the bench.

03:31pm- The bench laden with wit and high intellect try to entrap the speaker in a mesh, but then ask him to proceed and conclude his points.

03:36pm- Speaker 1 takes leave and the dias is now under speaker 2 of the respondent presenting his arguments before the court.

03:38pm- Speaker 2 presents his submissions and legal issues before the court.

03:42pm- Speaker 2 seeks permission to move forward with the prayer but is welcomed by several queries of the judges.

03:47pm- Speaker 2 prays before the court and leaves.

03:47pm- Speaker 1 on the behalf of appellant approaches the podium to put forward his rebuttal point.

03:49pm- Speaker 1 on the behalf of respondent responds to the point raised by the opponents.

03:52pm- Both the judges are engrossed in analyzing the points put forward by both the counsels and are involved in deep contemplation.

This marks the end of proceedings.

COURT ROOM 5- OPJ 10 V. OPJ 03

JUDGES: Mr Vivek Raj Mr. K Pramanik

02:32pm: The Counsel on behalf of the Appellants has approached the bench for the oral submissions. The first speaker for the Appellants, after battling through the initial screenings, reflects a greater degree of confidence than the last time.

02:39pm: Flipping through the pages of the memorial, the Lordships are questioning the Appellant’s interpretation of the facts of the matter. The speaker is re-evaluating the facts and is trying to present them in an eloquent manner to suit the requirements of the Lordships.

02:46pm: The speaker is presenting his arguments in the light of case laws cited in the Memorial; this attempt at convincing the Lordships has invited a series of questions pertaining to the cited case laws.

02:52pm: The second speaker is asked to restructure the analogies he is using to support his arguments. This makes the speaker mindful and he puts in greater efforts to substantiate the argument through quoting other authorities.

02:59pm: The speaker confers with the researcher. Meanwhile, the respondent’s side is *carefully listening/ listening intently *to the issues raised by the appellants to arm themselves for the rebuttal.

15:07 pm: The speaker is (questioned?) for the lack of legitimacy in the style and format of the memorial. The Lordships express disagreement with the speaker’s line of argument. With this, the counsel for the appellant restst.

03:10pm: The first speaker on behalf of the Respondent is proceeding with her line of arguments; the jurisdiction under which the bench has been approached is placed under scrutiny by the bench.

03:17pm: The speaker requests the bench to not view the matter as it appears prima facie, and is desirous that the Lordships may delve into the details surrounding the statement she has just made.

03:22pm: The lordships put forward their concern over the respondent’s attempt at submitting something which goes against a pre decided case in the Supreme Court.

03:.29pm: The second speaker for the Respondent has begun with her arguments. In spite of being asked for clarifications a number of times, the speaker’s demeanour does not betray the apprehensions she might have, on being subjected to such intense contentions from the bench.

03:38 pm:The researcher on the side of the Respondent is taking a cursory look over the case compendiums to find a judgment sought by the bench. The Appellants appear pleased; they might have found a brilliant point to rebut.

03:45 pm: Running short of time, the second speaker presents the issues in a brief manner and proceeds with the prayer.

03:49pm: The speaker on behalf of the Respondent takes up the dais for rebuttal, and among other things, she provides the bench with the judgment sought by the bench while she was presenting her arguments

COURT ROOM 8- OPJ 04 V. OPJ 05

JUDGES: Mr. DFK Baha & Mr. Ganga Nath Chaudhary

2:30 p.m: The next round of OPJ National Taxation Moot starts now. The counsel on behalf of the appellant is starting her argument after taking due permission from the honorable judge

2:35 p.m. The counsel on behalf of the appellant is arguing very confidently and the expression on the face of the judges shows that they are very impressed.

2:40 p.m. - Judges after patiently listening to the entire argument provided by the counsel, asks her a couple of question regarding the cases cited by her and she answers the entire questions without a hint of fear or hesitatioN.

2:42 p.m: After the first counsel has completed her arguments & after she has answered all the questions asked by the judges she has now requested her co-counsel to take over from there and continue the arguments.

2:45 p.m.: The co-counsel on behalf of the appellant has come up to the podium, & after taking the permission of judges has started his part of the argument. But, unlike the first speaker the second speaker doesn't seem that aggressive in his way of argument. He is very refined & has done his research really well because he is speaking without any fear

2:48 p.m. - The judges are questioning him about a recent judgment of the Supreme Court that he has used in his memorial.

2:50 p.m: Even the co-counsel has completed his line of argument. Now it is the turn of the counsel on behalf of the respondent to come and put forward their line of arguments.

2:52p.m: The 1st counsel on behalf of the respondent starts her line of argument after taking due permission from the bench.

2:55 p.mThe counsel is showing that she is very well versed with the facts and the laws related to it. With confidence she is tackling every issues raised by her opponents.

2:58 p.m. - The counsel is not overly aggressive in her approach but she is commanding respect and attention while speaking which has clearly impressed the judges.

3:03 p.m. And the counsel is still going on strongly without any hesitation while continuously citing cases & referring to her memorial.

3:08 p.m. The definition of contractor has been put forward by her & the logical reasoning used to construct this definition is excellent.

3:13 p.m. & the allotted time of 10 minutes is over but the judges have provided the counsel 2 extra minutes to complete her line of argument.

3:18 p.m. - The judges are now asking the counsel questions which she is giving her best to satisfy the judges by her answer. Now that even the extra time allotted to her is also over the co-counsel on behalf of the respondent starts his line of argument.

3:20 p.m.:The co-counsel has right from the onset started to show his excellent speaking skills.

3:22 p.m. : This team has got huge potential which can be seen from the way both the speakers of this team has conducted themselves. The co-counsel is still continuing with his line of argument while showing a very good grasp on the law by citing important & landmark cases.

3:28 p.m. :The judges decide to ask a question from the co-counsel who gives a very quick reply by citing the page of his memorial on which the answer is clearly mentioned.

3:32 p.m. :& the judges are now asking continuous questions from the co-counsel but he is still calm & cool while answering all the questions. He seems very determined & no questions from the judges have deviated if when any other person will be hard pressed to maintain his flow.

3:36 p.m. : The time allotted to the co-counsel has also ended now but the judges have given him an extra minute to complete his line of argument and read the prayer.

3:38 p.m. :The co-counsel on behalf of the respondent has now completed his line of argument & has left after reading the prayer.

3:40 p.m. – Now, even the rebuttal round is underway & the counsel on behalf of the appellant has raised some very good questions but as she runs short of time the judges provide her with 2 extra minutes to complete her line of argument .

Its 3:43 p.m. - The counsel on behalf of the respondent has now come forward to answer all the objections raised by the opposition & he does so really well. The judges decide to provide her with 1 extra minute as well .

3:45 p.m. - The judges have praised both the teams and congratulated them for their wonderful performance in this round & said that they also felt like they were in a real courtroom where a real proceeding was taking place.

 3:50 p.m. - This round was a very good round for both the teams and it has a very good chance of going down the line.

3:52 p.m. even this round of the competition has come to an end.

 

SEMI FINALS-

An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. Likewise, the foundation study for the competition must have been started long back, and the experiences the participants take from here shall linger for a long time. With the quarterfinals concluded, it is time for the Semi Finals.

The schedule is as follows-

OPJ 08 V. OPJ 05

OPJ 11 V. OPJ 03

Heartiest congratulations to the qualifying teams-

COURT ROOM 1- OPJ 11 V. OPJ 08

JUDGES: Rajiv Sharma & Nisha Oraon

05:31pm: The proceedings of the courtroom begin with the Counsel on behalf of the Appellant coming forward to plead her case. The bench listens intently to the statement of facts, attending to every detail.

05:40pm: The respondents flip through their memorial, discussing suitable arguments to counter the claims made by the appellants. While on the other side, the Appellant cites landmark judgments to substantiate her submissions.

05:40pm: The bench is alertly listening to the submissions; it seems that the questions have been put on hold for a while. The speaker is briefly dealing with the cases mentioned in the appellant’s memorial.

05:54pm:  Relying on the precedents of the apex court, the second speaker is quoting the relevant jurists to uphold his contentions. The speaker is scanning his memorial, looking for a suitable answer to validate his claim when it is brought to question by the bench.

06:00pm: With a simple yet well written prayer, the counsel for the Appellant rests.

The counsel for the Respondent confidently walks to the dais and puts forward the scheme of issues she would be dealing. The bench has agreed to forego the statement of facts owing to inadvertent repetitions.

06:09pm- The speaker draws the attention if the Lordships towards an assertion she wished to bring to the fire, even at the cost of reiteration.

06:15pm- With the first speaker's chain of arguments near to completion, the second speaker prepares herself for furthering the contentions made by her Co counsel. The speaker concludes giving a brief of the issues that shall be raised by the second speaker.

06.22pm- The speaker makes a reference to a recent Judgment which would supplement the issue raised by her; the bench seems to have taken note of the Respondent being aware of the contemporary developments in the field of law pertaining to the proposition.

06:30pm- The counsel on behalf of the Respondent rests. While rebutting the contentions, the speaker representing the interests of the Appellant, emphasizes on the arguments of the Respondent, which were inconsistent with the arguments advanced by the Respondent, in the views of the Appellant.

06:35pm- The speaker on behalf of the Respondent remarks that the lacunas pointed out by the appellant are pointless and quotes a landmark judgment justifying the same.

COURT ROOM 2- OPJ 03 V. OPJ 05

JUDGES: Mr. S.K. Sinha & Chandini Aggarwal

5:35 pm- The speaker 1 on behalf of the appellant commences his argument post a brief note of knowledge by the jury and enlightening of modern prospects of law as a career.

5:40pm- Speaker 1 overpowering all the ‘big game pressure’ garners the attention of the judge by his tremendous knowledge and application of law.

5:55 pm- The speaker concludes his set of contentions with some extremely witty and informative answers to specific jurisprudential queries of the bench.

5:59pm -The second counsel on behalf of the appellant begins his arguments with his gifted composure and persuasive skills.

6:05pm - The second speaker is showered with a flurry of derivative questions to which he responds with an efficient interpretation of law and facts.

6:09pm - The 2nd counsel concludes his set of arguments by some witty answers and extensive interpretation of law.

6:15pm - The counsel on behalf of the respondent initiates her arguments with some innovative interpretation of law with substantive calmness.

6:25 pm- The speaker one cruises her way through her arguments with adorable presence of mind and evident responsiveness.

6:30 pm- The speaker concludes her pack of arguments with extreme composure and elegant application of law.

6:35 pm- The 2nd speaker on behalf of the respondent commences her argument in an eloquent manner succeeded by some pertinent oratory skills.

6:45 pm- The speaker battles her way through her arguments with great perseverance and composure .

6:50 pm - The speaker concludes her contentions gracefully by bringing the apparent satisfaction to the faces of the members of the jury.

6:55 pm - The jury adds a note of appreciation to the members of both the teams and ends the semi-finals on an advisory and encouraging note.

The results of the Semi-finals shall be declared at 7:20pm, so stay tuned.

 Finally, the results were out, and two of the most exquisite teams make it to the finals for their exhilarating performances throughout the event. The teams proceeding to the finals are, UPES Dehradun and SLCU Begaluru!

The semi finals were undoubtedly a jaw dropper, and we expect something even bigger from the much awaited, show stopping event i.e, 'The Grand Finale'.The final will be held in the Judicial Academy, Ranchi, which in itself provides an adorable aura and undoubtedly is the inevitable cherry on the cake. Stay tuned, for something pretty extraordinary and magnificent!

FINAL ROUNDS-  18/03/2018 -SLCU BENGALURU V. UPES DEHRADUN

JUDGES- Mr. Vinay Jalan (Managing Partner, O.P. Jalan Associates and Consultant LLP)

                Mr. Etwa Munda (Retiered Comissioner of Income Tax) 

10:35 am- So here comes the Judgement Day. No losses yet, no wins, no blames, no dissappointment yet. Sunday morning seems juiced up. stage is set. The finalists are busy flipping through the pages as they want to leave no stones unturned.

 

10:45 am -The judges have arrived. 

10:50 am -The speaker 1 on behalf of the appellant commences her set of arguments on the big day with an apparent composure in her voice accompanied by a pinch of nervousness. 

10:55 am- The counsel is subjected to an array of jurisdictional queries by the bench followed by her voluble response to each of them.

11:00 am- The counsel portrays her knowledge of facts with utmost humility and is henceforth acknowledged by the bench.

 11:07 am- The counsel concludes her set of contentions in dapper and effective manner.

 11:08 am - The 2nd counsel on behalf of the appellant initiates her arguments with an immediate drawl of attention towards the major question of law regarding the proposition and cruises her way through her arguments.

11:16 am- The judges grill the counsel with the issue of contention i.e, the application of law and is even advised by the bench to seek the aid of her teammates for the resolving of the misinterpretation.

11:25- The counsel wraps up her contentions on an appealing note and sensitisation of her pleadings, subsequently rests her case.

11:27 am- Counsel on behalf of the respondent takes the dias.

11:28 am - The counsel on behalf of the respondent rolls the ball of arguments with a witty showcase of initial arguments and sharp shooting of responses to the queries.

11:40 am - The counsel highlights the discrepancies of the interpretation of law by the appellants and paves her way through the mid way of the arguments.

1140 am - the counsel seeks extension for 2 min to substantiate her arguments by citing case laws.

11:43 am- The counsel on behalf of the respondent sums up her arguments with a pertinent fabric of conviction and makes way for her co-counsel.

11:47 am - The 2nd counsel on behalf of the respondent initiates her arguments by wasting no time and straight away getting on to the crux of his issue

11:49 am- The judges test the understanding of the counsel on the basic concepts.

1:54 am - The counsel proceeds with his argument and evident knowledge of law but is very rightly interrupted by the bench on core jurisprudential queries.

11:55 am- the 2nd counsel on behailf of the repondent wrap ups his arguments and seeks permission to proceed with the prayer.The counsel rests his case in a subtle but efficient manner and draws the attention towards essentiality of justice in the present matter.

11:59 am - The rebuttal availed by the appellants proved to be quite effective as it brought an apparent content to the faces of the bench.

VALIDICTORY CEREMONY.

12:33 pm-  The most awaited moment has arrived. The Cheif Guest Justice Rajesh Shankar (Judge, Jharkhand High Court) will be here any moment.

12:44 pm-  The esteemed guests have arrived to shower their pearl of wisdom and motivate the participants. The honourable dignitaries were presented with plant saplings as Memento.

12:50 pm- Justice Rajesh Shankar takes the dias. He recalled his old days, when he aspired to be a lawyer himself. While enlightening the auidence, he advised the budding lawyers to be enthusiatic and spontanenous in their work. 

1:25 pm- Folks hold your breathe, as we announce the winners of the 2nd OP. Jalna Memorial Moot Court Competition, 2018. Heartiest congratulations to the winners!

Best Team- University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun

Runner up - School of Law- Christ University. 

Best researcher - Shubham Srivastava - University of Petroleum Energy Studies, Dehradun.

Best Memorial - Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab.

Best Speaker - Yashi Bajpai, Rajiv Gandhi  National Unversity of Law, Punjab.