CWG 'scandal' revisited in DU

When the 2010 Commonwealth Games came under fire over series of issues ranging from corruption to substandard infrastructures, to imagine that anything constructive would come out of the whole saga would have been way too idealistic.

Add characters from a fantasy drama television series and a pinch of law jargon to the already messy mix that CWG episode was, and you have got intense, heavily engrossing mock trials with students defending their clients who are named Lannister and Peter Bailish. Obviously, owing to legal concerns, the Commonwealth Games were renamed as One World Games (OWG).

The scenes were from the 11th edition of the annual K K Luthra Memorial Moot Court organised by the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University last week in memory of senior advocate K K Luthra.

Students from more than 50 law institutions participated in the three-day moot court competition and argued in defence of their ‘clients’ in an ‘international setting’. The mock trials were presided over by practising advocates who took the role of judges. The final rounds were presided over by the High Court judges themselves.

With the competition theme being different every year, this year ‘moot problem’ focussed on the law of corporate criminal liability and the extent to which the directors and other responsible officers of a corporation, can be made criminally liable. 

Beyond the Game of Throne references every now and then during the trial, the seriousness with which the students argued or the times when they were cross questioned, looked nothing less than how a real court room scene would be like. In ‘Court Room 7’, the lawyer was grilled by the judges, when he failed to produce the required documents to back a particular argument.

“Is there any fresh evidence filed by the police in this regard?” questioned the judge. “No your Excellency”, came the swift and short reply.

A total of 55 law institutions were selected from a total of 75 entrants. Out of the 55 colleges, only 16 proceeded to the next round followed by eight and then the final four. Each college was represented by a team of three lawyers and were judged on ‘oral skills’, ‘court mannerisms’, ‘fact finding’ and so on.

The students who participated in the moot trial said how important the intense mock trials are to the process of learning and practising law. Keshav Sehgal, a student, said that the exercise breaks the routine of learning only theory.

“The moot court gives us an opportunity to feel the environment of the court before actually entering it. The sessions ensure that we are not left clueless while arguing our case. Even though with practice we come to learn how to operate in the court but having mock trials during college gives a definite advantage to us,” Sehgal said.  

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the trial was attended by a barrage of law institutions, both national and international. Among the international students were those from countries like United States, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal.

“Certain cases from India have gained international attention and that is why it is important to discuss the cases by students both in India and abroad. They make the students aware of various aspects of law,” said Anju Sinha, Moot Court Convenor at Campus Law Centre and a faculty member at the Law Department of Delhi University. 

Another faculty member said that the infamous CWG Games, in fact, are providing numerous students a unique learning experience. A statement which definitely would not please those involved in the ‘scandal’.