Sunday 29 January 2012

13th D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition, 2012


The Moot Court Association of Government Law College and the D. M. Harish Foundation,are pleased to announce the 13th D. M. Harish Memorial – Government Law College International Moot Court Competition in association with Life Corporation of India to be held from 9th – 12th February, 2012.

Government Law College, Mumbai

The Government Law College, established in 1855 is one of the oldest law colleges in Asia, a pioneer in legal education - an institution par excellence. The generations of legal luminaries who have been nurtured by this unique institution have made a seminal contribution to the evolution of the Indian Legal System. Former Hon'ble Chief Justices of India – Mr. M. H. Kania, Mr. P. N. Bhagwati, Mr. S. P. Bharucha, and the present Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Kapadia all began their careers at GLC. Mr. Soli Sorabjee, Mr. Fali Nariman, Mr. Anil Divan, Mr. T. R. Andhyarujina and Mr. Goolam Vahanvati have all been students of this very institution. The contribution of Government Law College’s alumni to the jurisprudential and constitutional growth of India is certainly unparalleled.

The Moot Court Association
The Moot Court Association (MCA) of Government Law College was established in 1955 by the then Hon'ble Minister of Education, Mr. Dinkar R. Desai. The primary objective of the MCA is to provide the students of GLC with a platform to gain exposure to the practical aspects of the legal profession.Students present and argue a fictitious case before a bench of knowledgeable judges, to create a simulated courtroom. Moot court competitions hone the oratory, drafting and research skills of young aspiring lawyers, enhance their knowledge and build confidence and character. Mooting has now evolved and emerged as an integral part of the curriculum of leading institutes imparting legal education, all over the world

Mr. D.M. Harish

The Late Mr. D. M. Harish was a distinguished Advocate and a renowned authority on Income Tax Law in India. Mr. D. M. Harish had an outstanding academic career. He founded the well known firm “D. M. Harish & Co” which specializes in taxation, property law and corporate law. The cause of education was always very dear to him and so as a tribute to his memory; the D. M. Harish Foundation sponsors the ‘D. M. Harish Memorial-Government Law College International Moot Court Competition’ in collaboration with the Moot Court Association of Government Law College- Mr. D. M. Harish’s alma mater.

D.M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition, 2012

Government Law College has been hosting India’s First Ever and most prestigious International Moot Court Competition, in association with the D. M. Harish Foundation for over a decade now. In the year 2000, the Moot Court Association in collaboration with the D. M. Harish Foundation ordained the D. M. Harish Memorial Moot Court Competition, at a national level. The year 2004 saw Government Law College enter its 150th grand year and the MCA its 50th year, the way forward to expand the competition’s horizons was devised by developing it into India’s first international moot, which meant replicating the national success of the moot at the International Level. The MCA works round the year to make the D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition or DMH, as we fondly refer to it in GLC, a reality.

The case study of the competition deals primarily with complex contemporary issues relating to Public International Law before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The 2012 Compromis deals primarily with issues relating to Public International Law and International Taxation. The problem revolves around the OECD model and the much talked about issue of tax havens and disclosures. The Final Round of Arguments will be judged by a bench of five sitting judges of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court.


Participating Universities

The participation of Law Institutes from the United Kingdom, United States of America, Sri Lanka, Nepal Bangladesh, Mauritius, Spain, Greece, Russia, Malaysia, Ireland, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Singapore, Jamaica, Australia & Pakistan hold witness to the truly global flavour of DMH. This year we additionally look forward to participation from prestigious Universities such as the New York University & Valparaiso University from USA, Bond University from Australia, Moscow State Law Academy from Russia, University of Sussex and Southampton University from UK, National University of Singapore from Singapore, L'ecole For Advanced Studies, from Pakistan amongst other international teams, apart from the cream of Indian law universities that will attend this competition.

The Panel Discussion

One of the highlights of DMH is the Panel Discussion, which is an integral part of the competition schedule. The distinguished panelists such as Ms. Smriti Irani, Ms. Pooja Bedi, Mr. Arun Jaitley, Ms. Teesta Setalvad, Mr. Bal Apte, Mr. Darius Khambatta, Dr. Anirdha Malpani, Mr. Mahesh Jethmalani, Mr. Navroz Seervai have all graced the discussion in the past. This year’s panelists include Former Chief Justice B.N. Srikrishna  and Tax baron Mr. Nishith Desai. The Panel Discussion is to be held at the magnificent, Sahyadri State Guest House. The subject-matter for the Panel Discussion will revolve around the hotly debated topic of tax havens, the applicability of double taxation avoidance agreements (DTAAs) and the imposition of the voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) in relation to India.


Judges

Every year, Judges of the Bombay High Court, eminent advocates & lawyers, senior professors of law, partners and associates from elite law firms, form the highly illustrious pool of jurists for the preliminary, octo, quarter & semi-final rounds of the competition.

The teams most determined to endeavour finally embrace the Final Round of Arguments, held at the magnificent Mumbai University Convocation Hall. The Finalist teams get once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to argue before a formidable bench of five sitting Judges of the Bombay High Court.  Justice F. I. Rebello, Chief Justice Allahabad High Court, Justice B. N. Srikrishna, Former Judge Supreme Court and Justice A. P. Shah, Former Chief Justice Delhi High Court, Justice D. Y. Chandrachud have all graced us with their august presence in the past.

DMH truly epitomises commitment, objectivity, hospitality and recognition of merit par excellence. The quality, competitiveness and versatility of the participants, the experience and expertise of the judges and the hospitality & warmth extended by the organizers truly symbolize the ‘DMH Experience’. The consecutive success of DMH only continues to pave its way towards being recognized as Asia’s largest and most prestigious International Moot Court Competition.

Wednesday 18 January 2012

M.C. Chagla Memorial Government Law College National Moot Court Competition, 2012


The Government Law College, Mumbai in association with the Chief Justice M. C. Chagla Memorial Trust hosted the 18th M. C. Chagla Memorial Government Law College National Moot Court Competition on 14nd & 15rd January, 2012.
The Competition which went National this year witnessed participation from 15 of the best law schools/universities in the country with ILS Law College, Pune emerging as the winner and the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala coming a close second. The award for the Best Memorial went to National Law University, Delhi whereas the award for the Best Speaker and the 2nd Best Speaker went to the the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata and ILS Law College, Pune respectively.
The Competition, based on Constitutional Law, had a unique format with teams arguing on two Moot Propositions through the Preliminary, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final Round of Arguments. Teams had the opportunity to argue before eminent law practitioners, partners of law firms and senior counsels of the Bombay High Court, the likes of which included, Mr. Darius J. Khambatta, Additional Solicitor General of India, Mr. S. U. Kamdar, Mr. Milind Sathe, Mr. Pravin Samdani, Mr. Pradeep Sancheti, Mr. Satish Maneshinde, Mr. Denzel Arambhan amongst others. The Final Round of Arguments were presided over by Hon’ble Mr. Justice J. H. Bhatia and Hon’ble Mr. Jutice R. C. Chavan, Judges of the Bombay High Court.