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

The D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition [1] popularly known as DMH, is India’s first and arguably most prestigious International Moot Court Competition. The Competition was instituted in the year 2000 and is jointly organized by the Government Law College, Mumbai and the D.M. Harish Foundation. The case study of the Competition is a fictional dispute between countries that is submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and deals primarily with contemporary legal issues relating primarily to the field of Public International Law. The Rounds of the Competition are held in the Government Law College, Mumbai with the final rounds of argument being presided over by a stately bench of five sitting judges of the Bombay High Court.

The Competition receives substantial entries from Indian Law schools annually and has seen participation from more than 20 countries from across the globe, including some major US and UK Universities.

THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE

The Competition is organised by the Moot Court Association [2] of Government Law College, Mumbai in collaboration with the D. M. Harish Foundation, a Trust instituted in memory of one of India’s most eminent jurist, the Late Mr. D. M. Harish.

Government Law College, Mumbai

Established in 1855, the Government Law College, Mumbai enjoys the distinction of being one of Asia’s oldest and most distinguished law schools. The year 2011 marks the 156th anniversary of Government Law College, Mumbai. With a heritage spanning a century and a half, this pioneering legal institution is older than the University of Mumbai and the Bombay High Court itself. Generations of distinguished legal luminaries who have made a seminal contribution to the Indian legal system form a part of its veritable alumni.

Mr. Harilal Kania H. J. Kania, the first Chief Justice of India, Mr. M.C. Chagla, the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, M. C. Setalvad, the first Attorney General of India, former Chief Justices of India, Mr. P. N. Bhagwati and Mr. S. P. Bharucha and Hon’ble Justice S.H. Kapadia, current Chief Justice of India all began their careers from the Government Law College. Legal luminaries like Mr. Nani Palkhivala, Mr. Soli Sorabjee, Mr. Fali Nariman, Mr. T. R. Andhyarujina, Mr. Anil Divan [3] and Mr. Goolam Vahanvati and even the Hon’ble President of India, Her Excellency, Ms Pratibha Patil form a part of its enviable alumni. Their contribution to the constitutional and jurisprudential growth of India is unparalleled.

The Government Law College, Mumbai, believes in bringing together perspectives from across the spectrum, to equip its students with a holistic understanding and substantive view on contemporary concerns. The college has achieved a perfect blend of theoretical knowledge keeping in view its long standing culture and tradition as well as several extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, including moot courts that provide its law students with an insight into the current legal scenario and the burning issues of our time.

Moot Court Association

Moot court competitions have been a regular feature in Government Law College since 1936. The Moot Court Association [4] of Government Law College was inaugurated in 1955 to further this imperative co-curricular activity. It is a student body that singularly co-ordinates all the mooting activities at Government Law College and annually organizes the D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition [5] in association with the D. M. Harish Foundation. With a strength of over 75 students, the Moot Court Association [6] oversees and manages the entire Competition and is responsible in making the DMH-experience a truly enjoyable one for all the participants.

LATE MR. D.M. HARISH & THE D.M. HARISH FOUNDATION

Late Mr. D. M. Harish was a distinguished Advocate and a renowned authority on Income Tax Law who also figures in the venerated list of alumnis of the Government Law College, Mumbai. Mr. D. M. Harish founded the well-known firm “D. M. Harish & Co” which specializes in taxation, property law and corporate law. Mr. Harish built a large clientele and tremendous goodwill amongst industrialists and professionals alike. He was the director of several public and private limited companies and a trustee of many philanthropic organizations. He was also a member of the Regional Direct Taxes Advisory Committee and the President of the Chamber of Income Tax Consultants. His contribution to the Indian legal system is immeasurable which includes the publication of his magnum opus, an eight volume Treatise on Income Tax Law which contains about 30,000 pages of research material connected with tax laws. He is renowned for the several landmark cases that he fought on behalf of the Indian tax-payers. He has also written innumerable article on diverse legal subjects.

In his lifetime, he instituted a fund for educational grants for the needy and deserving. He also instituted the Annual Awards for Best Professors at the Government Law College, Mumbai. As a tribute to his memory, the D. M. Harish Foundation sponsors the D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College Moot Court Competition [7] in collaboration with the Moot Court Association [8] of Government Law College.

ABOUT THE MOOT

The Government Law College has been hosting the D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition [9] for the past twelve years. It has emerged as the most prestigious mooting competition of its kind in India and has played an important role in the promotion of mooting in the country by providing a platform for law students to hone their advocacy skills. DMH is India's first International Moot Court Competition and was started in 2000 as a National Moot Court Competition. However, it has been open to international entrants since 2006. In a short span of six years, the moot has witnessed diverse participation of Law Schools from across countries like United Kingdom, United States of America, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Australia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Singapore and Jamaica. The case study of the competition deals primarily with complex contemporary issues relating to Public International Law that is submitted before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and has been drafted by experts in the field. The teams are required to be well-versed with the basic principles of international law, international institutions and procedures. In addition, students are required to have an extraordinary grasp of international case laws, as well as current events. The previous years have witnessed participants with nearly encyclopedic knowledge of pertinent cases as well as secondary materials by leading international law scholars.

The Rounds of the Competition are held at the premises of the Government Law College, Mumbai and are adjudged by distinguished advocates of the Bombay High Court, academicians and experts in the field of International Law.

Past Winners

The winners of the D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition since the Competition was open to international entrances are:

2011
Winning Team : Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, India
Runners-up : Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, India

2010
Winning Team : National Law University, Delhi, India
Runners-up : Indian Law Society's Law College, Pune, India

2009
Winning Team : Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad, India
Runners-up : Government Law College, Mumbai, India

2008
Winning Team : Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, United States of America
Runners-up : Cornell Law School, U.S.A

2007
Winning Team : St. Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Runners-up : Government Law College, Mumbai, India

2006
Winning Team : National Law School of India University, Bangalore, India

2005
Winning Team : National Law School of India University, Bangalore, India

Rounds of the Competition

The Oral Rounds of the Competition will be conducted over a period of 3 days. These Oral Rounds comprise the Preliminary Rounds where teams will be required to argue from both sides (Applicant and Respondent) of which sixteen teams will qualify for the Octo-Final Rounds. The Octo-Final Rounds will find teams arguing from both sides once again. The top eight teams will qualify for the Quarter-Final Rounds which will be a Knock-out Round. Of these eight teams, four winning teams will then proceed to the Semi-Final Rounds which will be a Knock-out Round yet again. Finally, the two winning teams will reach the Final Rounds of Argument.

However, a ‘Memorial Round’ precedes the Oral Rounds of Argument. Eleven Indian Universities/Colleges based on their past performance directly proceed to the oral rounds of argument. The other Indian Universities/Colleges that send in their applications will have to go through the ‘Memorial Round’. Four of the highest scoring Memorials shall qualify for the Oral Rounds of Argument.

Prior to the Oral Rounds of Argument, the teams that have qualified for the Oral Rounds will have to sit through a Researcher’s test which will be held in the premises of the college itself. The winning researcher will be declared at the Valedictory Ceremony that follows the Final Rounds of Argument.

THE PANEL DISCUSSION

The D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law International Moot Court Competition [10] also holds a panel discussion for the participants as a part of the 4-day mooting schedule. The distinguished panelists are public figures and dignitaries from different fields representing the thoughts of different classes of society that come together to discuss a contemporary contentious issue that is closely related to the case-study of the Competition with the object of mobilizing the thoughts of young aspiring lawyers and to throw light on the current situation. The panel discussion is followed by a banquet that is organized yearly in order to extend a warm welcome to all the participants.

UPDATES

The 13th edition of the D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition [11] will be held from the 9 to 12 February 2012 in Mumbai, India.

The Schedule and Case Study for the 2012 edition will be available shortly.

External links

• The official D. M. Harish Memorial Moot Court Competition page
• The Government Law College, Mumbai
• The Moot Court Association of Government Law College

References

1. The Hindu Business Line- Moot Court Competition
2. Indian Express-International Moot Competition
3. The DNA- Budding Legal Eagles to Clash Today
4. The Telegraph-Grooming Legal Eagles
5. The John Marshall Law School-D. M. Harish Moot Court Competition
6. King's College, London-DMH
7. Jamaica Observer-Norman Manley Law School in DMH
8. Legally India-D. M. Harish Moot Court Competition
9. Washington University in St. Louis-Law students win international moot court crown in India
10. University of Southampton School of Law-DMH Report
11. Melbourne University Law Students' Society-Mooting Competition in India
12. Gujarat National Law University-GNLU awarded best team in DMH, 2011
13. National Law University, Delhi-Winners of DMH, 2010
14. Georgetown Law
15. BLS Mooting-Moot Court Competitions