3rd LBSNAA MOOT COURT COMPETITION, 2025

SCHEDULE

• Release of Moot Proposition: 09th December, 2024

• Deadline for Team Submission: 18th February, 2025

• Deadline for submission of Soft Copies of Memorials: 28th February 2025

 MOOT PROPOSITION

The Republic of Gasota is known for its rich cultural heritage and commitment to social justice. Among
its many states, Dhanolti stands out for its progressive stance on issues of equality, with a strong emphasis
on gender equality in all spheres of life. The state has a high literacy rate and a well-established legal
framework aimed at protecting the rights of its citizens.

Rohan Arora, a vocal social activist and a member of a prominent civil society organization, “Justice
League,” has been advocating for the rights of marginalized communities for over a decade. His activism
often puts him at odds with local authorities, particularly in cases involving police brutality and
government overreach. Arora is known for his strong stance against extra-judicial actions by law
enforcement agencies.

On the night of October 15, 2024, a violent protest erupted in Dhanolti, following the arrest of a local
leader who had been accused of embezzlement. The protest quickly spiraled out of control, leading to
widespread violence, including the torching of government buildings and police vehicles, armed
rebellion, and mob lynching. The state government, in response, invoked Section 163 imposing a curfew
and authorizing the police to use force to restore order.

During the unrest, the police, led by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kapil Chaturvedi, carried out a
series of "encounter operations" aimed at neutralizing what they described as "armed and dangerous
criminals." Among those killed in the operations were five young men, who the police claimed were
leading the violent mobs and were involved in subsequent mob lynching. However, eyewitnesses and
local activists, including Rohan Arora, alleged that these encounters were staged and that the men were
innocent, unarmed civilians who were shot in cold blood

Arora, along with the families of the deceased, held a press conference on October 20, 2024, condemning
the police action and demanding a judicial inquiry into the killings. The press conference sparked
nationwide outrage, with social media campaigns demanding #JusticeForAll trending across the country.
In response, the state government issued statements defending the police, claiming that the actions were
necessary to maintain law and order.

In the wake of the public outcry, Rohan Arora, along with the families of the deceased, filed a writ
petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of Gasota before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
The petitioners argue that the encounter killings violated the fundamental rights of the deceased under
Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution, including the right to life and due process.

The petition also alleges that the invocation of Section 163 and the subsequent use of force by the police
were unconstitutional, amounting to an abuse of power. They argue that the state government's actions,
including the justification of the encounters, reflect a disregard for the rule of law and the principles of
justice enshrined in the Constitution.

The state government, in its defence, has argued that the police were acting in the interest of public safety
and that the measures taken, including the encounters, were necessary to prevent further violence and
anarchy. The government contends that the situation was extraordinary, requiring extraordinary
measures, and that the police acted within the bounds of the law.

The Hon'ble Supreme Court of the Republic of Gasota has admitted the petition and has clubbed it with
a suo moto case regarding the increasing number of police encounters in the state. The court has sought
to examine the broader implications of police encounters on the rule of law and the protection of
fundamental rights.

Issues for Consideration:

 Whether the encounter killings by the police violate the fundamental rights of the deceased under
Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution.

 Whether the invocation of Section 163 and the subsequent use of lethal force by the police can
be justified under the circumstances, or if they constitute an abuse of power.

 Whether the police officers involved should be held accountable for the alleged extrajudicial
killings, and what standard of proof should be applied in such cases.

 Whether the state government's actions in defending the police encounters can be justified in the
interest of maintaining public order, or if they undermine the rule of law and constitutional
protections.

 What remedies, if any, should be granted to the petitioners if the Supreme Court finds that the
actions of the police and state government were unconstitutional.
Note:

i. The laws of the Republic of Gasota are in pari materia (similar) with the laws of India.
ii. The matter is to be heard by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of the Republic of Gasota.
iii. Participants shall prepare memorials/arguments for both the Petitioner and Respondent.
Participants may frame their own additional issues as necessary.
iv. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events, and incidents are the products of
the drafter's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is
purely coincidental.
 RULES & REGULATIONS

1. GENERAL DATES:
The 3rd Moot Court Competition, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration(LBSNAA) will
be held on (dates will be shared after WST).

2. TEAM PRE-REQUISITES:
a. Each team shall comprise of three members (two Speakers and one Researcher).
b. The language for the Competition shall be English only.
c. Moot Court Competition shall comprise of:
• Memorial Submissions
• Oral Rounds: Preliminary / Quarter / Semi and Final Rounds (Offline Rounds)

3. DRESS CODE:
The dress code for the oral rounds shall be the advocate's attire,1 OR Formal Black, and White
combination with tie OR black buttoned up coat.

4. REGISTRATION:
Compulsory for all officer trainees. A link will be given in Gyan portal to register as a team with details
of the team members with their names and OT codes.

5. MEMORIALS:

a. The following requirements for memorials must be strictly followed. Non-conformities ofwhich
will lead to penalty points. Each team must prepare memorials for both parties to the dispute.
b. Once the soft copies of the memorials have been submitted, no revisions, supplements, or
additions will be allowed (If done the team may be disqualified).
c. Each team is required to send the memorial from both sides i.e., the Petitioner and the
Respondent.
d. Soft Copy Submission:
i. Each team must upload the soft copies of its Memorial in the Gyan Portal in .pdf format.
The teams should make sure that they mention their OT codes in the text box.
ii. Only one member of the team shall send the memorials on behalf of the team with the
other member’s marked copies.
iii. The subject in the email should be ‘Team (team code)-’ The memorials shall be attached
with file names as ‘Petitioner–Team (team code)’ and ‘Respondent– Team (team code)’.
iv. Please check your outbox/sent/drafts to ensure email delivery confirmation; Academy

1
Bar Council of India Rules
FORM OF DRESSES OR ROBES TO BE WORN BY ADVOCATES
[Rules under Section 49(1)(gg) of the Advocates Act, 1961]
Advocates appearing in the Supreme Court, High Courts, Subordinate Courts, Tribunals or Authorities shall wear the following as part of
their dress, which shall be sober and dignified.
I. ADVOCATES
(a) A black buttoned up coat, chapkan, achkan, black sherwani and white bands with Advocates' Gowns.
(b) A black open breast coat. white shirt, white collar, stiff or soft, and white bands with Advocates' Gowns.
In either case wear long trousers (white, black striped or grey) Dhoti excluding jeans.
Provided further that in courts other than the Supreme Court, High Courts, District Courts, Sessions Courts or City Civil Courts, a black
tie may be worn instead of bands.
II. LADY ADVOCATES
(a) Black full sleeve jacket or blouse, white collar stiff or soft, with white bands and Advocates' Gowns.
White blouse, with or without collar, with white bands and with a black open breast coat.
Or
(b) Sarees or long skirts (white or black or any mellow or subdued colour without any print or design) or flare (white, black or
black stripped or grey) or Punjabi dress Churidar Kurta or Salwar-Kurta with or without dupatta (white or black) or traditional
dress with black coat and bands.
III. Wearing of Advocates' gown shall be optional …
 shall not be liable for bounced or undelivered emails.
e. The Cover Page of the memorials for the Petitioner shall be in Blue, and the Respondent shall
be in Red.
f. Late submissions will result in a 01-point penalty per team per day per side.
g. The written memorials shall conform to the standards mentioned below:
Written submissions shall be in white A4 size.
1. The font and size of the text used in all parts of the written submissions (except the
covers) shall be in Times New Roman, 12-point and footnotes shall be in Times New
Roman, size 10.
2. The text in all parts of each written submission shall have 1.5-line spacing except the text
of footnotes and headings, which shall be single-spaced.
3. The arguments with appropriate citations shall be contained in the pleadings.
4. The teams shall follow the 19th Edition of the Bluebook mode of citation. (Guidelines
for the Bluebook mode of citation is attached in Annexure A)
5. The Written Submission/memorial should not exceed the maximum limit of 35 Pages
(excluding Cover Page and Table of Contents). The Pleadings (Arguments Advanced) shall
not exceed 25 pages and not less than 15 pages.
6. Memorials must have a one-inch margin on all sides of each page.
7. The ‘Team code’ is to be mentioned on the top-right corner of the cover page and every
page of both memorials.
8. Plagiarism: Teams shall be jointly and severally duty-bound to ensure that the memorials
are original in content. If any memorial (s) is found to be a copy of another, either in
whole or in part (s), both teams shall be disqualified. Please note that plagiarism and
copying is a serious violationof rules and is an instance of academic indiscipline. Teams
are advised to keep genuine safekeeping measures with respect to their memorials. AI
should not exceed 10% and Plagiarism should not exceed 15% excluding footnote and
sources.

The memorials must contain:

A. Cover Page
B. Table of Contents
C. Index of Authorities
D. Statement of Jurisdiction
E. Statement of Facts (Argumentative statements of facts would attract penalties)
F. Questions of Law
G. Summary of Arguments
H. Arguments Advanced
I. Prayer
J. Appendix (Optional)
K. Exhibits (Optional)

The cover page of the memorials must state the following:

A. The case title.
B. Identity of brief as prosecution or defence.

Marking Criteria for Memorials

A. Knowledge of facts and law (20)
B. Proper and articulate analysis of the issues (20)
C. Extent and use of legal research (20)
D. Clarity and organization of thought (20)
E. Citation of sources (10)
F. Grammar and Style (10)
NOTE: The identity of the members shall not be revealed anywhere in the memorial. Violation of this
provision shall result in disqualification of the team. The decision of the organizers will be final.

MEMORIAL SUBMISSIONS:

 Participants will be judged based on the memorials submitted for both sides-Petitioner and
Respondent. The memorials are to be uploaded at the Gyan Portal.
 The result of the memorial rounds will be declared on (dates will be shared after WST).

6. ROUNDS:

Preliminary Round:

 The Preliminary Rounds shall take place on (dates will be shared after WST).
 The team codes and the sides of the participants will be decided by the Faculty of Law at random.
 It shall be conducted through physical mode.
 The Preliminary round of competition will consist of 50 minutes for oral pleadings.
 Each team shall strictly get a total time of 25 minutes to argue subject to a minimum of 08
minutes per speaker. The said 25 minutes should include a maximum of 3 minutes for the
Rebuttals.
 At the beginning of the round, the teams shall specify the time distribution foreach
speaker and rebuttal to the Court Clerk.
 The rebuttal round proceeding shall be initiated once the Court Clerk informs the team about
the commencement of the time limit.
 These rounds will be based on marks and the top eight teams based on the scores of the
preliminary round will qualify for the quarter-final round.

Quarter – Final Round:

 The 8 quarter-finalists’ teams will be selected based on the scores of the preliminary round.
 The Quarter-final round of competition will consist of 50 minutes for oral pleadings.
 Each team shall strictly get a total time of 25 minutes to argue subject to a minimum of 08
minutes per speaker. The said 25 minutes should include a maximum of 3 minutes for the
Rebuttals.
 At the beginning of the round, the teams shall specify the time distribution for each speaker
and rebuttal to the Court Clerks.
 The rebuttal round proceeding shall be initiated once the Court clerk informs the teamabout
the commencement of the time limit.
 The quarter-final round will be based on marks, and four teams will qualify for the semi-final
round.

Semi-Final Round :

 The Semi-Final round will be a knockout round. The four teams would participate in Semi-Final
round.
 For the Semi-Final Round, each team shall get a total time of 50 minutes to argue, subject to
a minimum of 08 minutes per speaker. The said 25 minutes should include a maximum of 3
minutes for the Rebuttals.

Final Round :
 The Final round will be knockout round.
  Each team shall get a total time of 30 minutes to argue subject to a minimum of 10 minutes
per speaker. The said 30 minutes should include a maximum of 3 minutes for the Rebuttals.

7. AWARDS:

Best Team
st
1 Best Team : Rs. 15,000/-
2nd Best Team : Rs. 9,000/-
3rd Best Team : Rs. 6,000/-
4th Best Team : Rs. 4,500/-
Best Memorial
1st Best Memorial : Rs. 6,000/-
2nd Best Memorial : Rs. 3,500/-
3rd Best Memorial : Rs. 3,000/-
Best Speaker
st
1 Best Speaker : Rs. 5,000/-
2nd Best Speaker : Rs. 3,000/-
3rd Best Speaker : Rs. 2,000/-
Best Researcher
1st Best Researcher : Rs. 5,000/-
2nd Best Researcher : Rs. 3,000/-
3rd Best Researcher : Rs. 2,000/-

8. GENERAL ETIQUETTE:
 The participants are expected to behave in a dignified manner and not cause any
unnecessary inconvenience to the organizers. Deference to the Judges of the Moot Court
Competition is expected to be maintained in the Courtroom.
 The Organizers reserve the right to take appropriate action for any unethical,
unprofessional, or immoral conduct.

9. MARKING CRITERIA FOR ORAL ROUNDS

• Knowledge of Law (20)
• Knowledge of Facts (10)
• Application of Facts on Law (10)
• Clarity and Organization of Thought (20)
• Demeanor (20)
• Use of language and ability to answer questions (20)

10. DISCLAIMER:
The material in the Moot Court proposition is not intended to and does not attempt to resemble any
incident or any person living or dead. All material in the problem is fictitious and any resemblance to
any incident or person, if any, is not intended, but merely coincidental.

11. INTERPRETATION OF THE RULES:

• The Organizer's decision as regards the interpretation of rules or any other matter related
to the competition will be final.
• If there is any situation, which is not contemplated in the rules, the organizer's decision on
the same shall be final.
• The Organizers reserve the right to vary, alter, modify, or repeal any of the above rules if so
required and as they may deem appropriate at any time before and/ or during the
competition.
• Any dispute arising in the moot courtrooms during the rounds would be at the discretion of
 the presiding officer of the respective courtroom.
In any conflict, the decision of the Course Co-ordinator would be final.
In case of any further queries kindly send an email to [email protected]

12. SUGGESTED READINGS:

Books:
 Constitution of India
 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita
 Code of Criminal Procedure
 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
 Indian Penal Code
 Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam
 Indian Evidence Act

13. MOOTING RESOURCES:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Xg6XXZpZs How to prepare for Moot Court
Competition|Moot Court Competition Tips| Moot Court Presentation by Law Giri. (For
speakers)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrBggIEMcP4 Webinar on 'How to Research for a
MootMemorial? ' | Lawctopus Law School. (For memorial Drafting).
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McHKuSz2KgA Orientation programme of Moot
CourtSociety, Campus Law Centre.
 Video on Memorial Drafting: https://tinyurl.com/Memomaking
 Reference link for Memorial Drafting: https://tinyurl.com/mootdrafting
 Document on Court Manners
 Developing a research plan
 Sample memorial
 ANNEXURE A BLUEBOOK (19th ed.)
CITATION FORMAT EXAMPLES (FOR FOOTNOTES)

GENERAL RULES
 Times New Roman, Size 10, 1 line spacing, Justified.
 Add full stop after every footnote.
 Months should be written in abbreviated forms: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May,
June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
 Tables given at the end of the Bluebook should be referred to for abbreviated forms.
Eg. Abbreviations of geographical terms, periodicals, publishing terms etc.

I. BOOKS
Volume No. (if any) NAME OF AUTHOR, TITLE OF THE BOOK pg. cited (Editors/Translators
Name, edition cited year).
Eg:
 2 FREDERICK POLLOCK & FREDERIC WILLIAM MAITLAND, THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH
LAW 205-06 (2d ed. 1911).
 CHARLES DICKENS, BLEAK HOUSE 49-55 (Norman Page ed., Penguin Books 1971)
(1853).
Rules & Exceptions
______________________________________________________________________________

Follow the fond format as has been illustrated above, for e.g. name of author must be in SMALL
CAPS
 The first name must always be written before the surname.
 For two authors, write both their names separated by „&‟.
 In case of citing a book that has been edited, write „ed. or „eds. after the name of
theeditor. If translated, write trans. after name of translator. If both, then first write
editor’s name and then translator’s name.
 For more than two authors, editors or translators write the name of the author,
editoror translator that appears first followed by “ et al.”
 Do not add „p‟ or „pp‟ before the page number. Just write the numerical.
 In case the book is being published by more than one publishing house, write the
name of the publisher cited after the name of the editor in sentence case.

II. JOURNAL ARTICLE

a) For consecutively paginated journals (Where the periodical is organised by volume and
page numbers continue throughout the volume, it is a consecutively paginated periodical)

Name of Author, Title of Article, Journal volume no. ABBREVIATION OF JOURNAL Page on
which Article Begins, Page Cited (Year).
Eg.
 Charles A. Reich, The New Property, 73 YALE L.J. 733, 737-38 (1964).
 Rules & Exceptions

 For two authors, write both their names separated by „&‟.

 For more than two authors write the name of the author that appears first followed
by“et al.”

b) For non-consecutively paginated journals (works appearing in periodicals that are

separately paginated within each issue)

Name of Author, Title of Article, ABBREVIATION OF JOURNAL, date of issue as appears in the
cover, at first page of work, page cited.
Eg:
 Barbara Ward, Progress for a Small Planet, HARV. BUS. REV., Sept.-Oct. 1979, at 89,
90.
III. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Author‟s name, Name of Artcile/ news report, ABBRV. OF NAME OF NEWSPAPER,

Month Date, Year, at pg. no.
Eg.
 Ari L. Goldman, O'Connor Warns Politicians Risk Excommunication over Abortion,
N.Y. TIMES, June 15, 1990, at A1.

IV. INTERNET

(When an authenticated official or exact copy of source is available online, citation can be
made as if to the original print source without any URL info appended.)

Name of the Author, Name of article, INSTITUTIONAL OWNER OF DOMAIN (Month date, year,
time), URL.
Eg:
 Eric Posner, More on Section 7 of the Torture Convention, THE VOLOKH CONSPIRACY
(Jan. 29, 2009, 10:04 AM), http://www.volokh.com/posts/1233241458.html.

Rules & Exceptions

 Format for time as illustrated.

 Don‟t write available at or at before the URL.
 Write the entire URL as appears in the address bar of the browser, remove hyperlink.

CASES

a) U.S. cases:
First Party v. Second Party, Reporter Vol. No., Reporter Abbrv., First Page of Case, Specific
Page Reference (Year).
Eg:
 Meritor Sav. Bank v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57, 60 (1986).
 b) Indian cases:
Case name, (year of reporter) Vol No. Reporter Abbreviation, First page (year of decision if
different from year of reporter (India, if not evident from context)
Eg:
 Charan Lal Sahu v Union Carbide, (1989) 1 S.C.C. 674 (India).

Reporters that depart from this format shall be written in their own format.
Eg:
 Jabalpur v. Shukla, A.I.R. 1976 S.C. 1207 (India).

Rules & Exceptions:

 Do not italicise the case name.

 If there are more than one parties, list only the first party.
 Italicise the procedural phrases, for e.g., In re, Ex parte etc.

V. STATUTES

a) U.S. Law
Official name of act, U.S.C. title number Abbreviation of Code cited, sections symbols and
span of sections containing statute (Date of Code edition cited).
Eg:
 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C.
§§ 9601-9675 (2006).

b) U.S. Constitution
Abbreviation of Constitution cited Abbreviation for Amendment No of amendment cited,
section symbol and no. of section cited.
Eg.
 U.S. CONST. amend. XIV, § 2.
 LA. CONST. art. X, pt. IV.

c) Indian Law
Act name, Act No., Acts of Parliament, Year of Volume (India, if not evident from context).
Eg:
 The Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1992, No. 13, Acts of Parliament, 1992 (India).

d) Indian Constitution
Eg:
 INDIA CONST. art. 1, cl. 2.

VI. SHORT FORMS

DICKENS, supra note 2.

Reich, supra note 3, at 739.
Id. at 740.

SOURCE: The Bluebook A Uniform System of Citation Nineteenth Edition