BML Munjal University, Gurugram (a Hero India Group initiative), in collaboration with The Future Foundation School, Kolkata, organised the first Inter-School Moot Court Competition in West Bengal at the latter’s premises on January 10.
Moot courts allow law students to get an in-depth understanding of what being in the profession of law entails by creating a simulation of real-life court proceedings. The event witnessed the enthusiastic participation of students from eight schools across the city including Calcutta Boys’ School; The Heritage School; GD Birla Centre for Education; Modern High School for Girls; Ruby Park Public School; Delhi Public School, Newtown; Vivekananda Mission School and The Future Foundation School.
A total of 14 teams and 42 participants competed in this mock courtroom. The team from The Heritage School was adjudged the winners and the team from Calcutta Boys’ School secured the runners-up position. Both teams delivered passionate arguments on behalf of the two sides of the case. Sreejita Chatterjee from GD Birla Centre for Education was awarded the best speaker award.
Three faculty members of BML Munjal University — Pritam Baruah, dean, School of Law; Abhishek Mishra, HoD and programme director and Sunishth Goyal, faculty associate — judged the participants. The initiative was conceptualised by the school’s legal studies teacher, Manisha Ajmera.
The programme was inaugurated by the dignitaries and initiated as students arrived from across the city to take part in the event and attend mooting sessions, all the while gaining practical knowledge pertaining to legal reasoning and the courtroom. A prize distribution ceremony concluded the event.
Baruah shared the story of his academic journey from his school in Meghalaya to NALSAR, Oxford University and University College London. He stressed that India in the coming years will need a large pool of competent lawyers committed to the rule of law and equipped with sharp lawyering skills and an international orientation.
“The motivation for a moot court for school students is to give a first-hand experience of what it means to live and breathe the ideal of the rule of law. Unlike in debates, participants are asked spontaneous questions about their arguments and judges have to be convinced by their reasons. A rule of law society embraces reason-giving for any decision and rejects arbitrariness of any sort. School students today must get a taste of this Socratic process to appreciate what legal education has in store. We must be willing to critically reflect on our cherished dogmas and intuitions when fellow humans argue against them based on reasons,” said Baruah. The principal of TFFS, Ranjan Mitter, also briefed the student about the careers and importance of lawyers in academic fields, including opportunities in schools.
This event was an initiative of the School of Law, BML Munjal University to spread legal awareness among school students by allowing them a unique opportunity to experience simulated courtroom experience in the form of an inter-school moot court competition.