2nd International Moot Court Competition 2027: The Prosecutor v. General Darius Vokshi, Presidency School of Law, Bengaluru [Hybrid; 16-18 April 2027; Register by 15 February 2027]

Following the inaugural edition organised in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, Presidency School of Law, Presidency University, Bengaluru, announces the 2nd International Moot Court Competition, 2027. The Competition is envisioned as an international platform for law students to engage with contemporary and complex issues of international law through legal research, written advocacy and oral argument.

The organisers state that the Competition is designed to reflect contemporary developments in international criminal justice and accountability mechanisms, and to encourage participants to work with evolving jurisprudence, treaty frameworks, customary international law and comparative legal approaches. It aims to foster intellectual excellence, advocacy skills, critical thinking and cross-cultural academic engagement among law students from India and across the world.

The proposition for this edition is set before a fictional hybrid international tribunal and presents questions arising under International Criminal Law, Public International Law, International Humanitarian Law and Transnational Justice.

• Jurisdiction of the tribunal, and admissibility and complementarity
• Immunity ratione materiae of former State officials
• Individual criminal responsibility, including command responsibility
• Extradition and the human rights obligations engaged by it
• The principle of non-refoulement

The moot proposition itself is scheduled for release on 15 December 2026. A clarification window follows registration, from 16 to 22 February 2027, with clarifications released on 28 February 2027.

• Open to students enrolled in three-year LL.B., five-year integrated LL.B., LL.M. or equivalent law programmes offered by recognised universities and institutions in India and abroad.
• Each team shall consist of three members, comprising either two speakers and one researcher, or three speakers one of whom shall also perform the role of the researcher.
• Each institution may provisionally register one team. Additional teams may be permitted subject to seat availability and approval by the Organising Committee.
• The decision of the Organising Committee regarding eligibility and participation is final and binding.

The Competition is conducted in hybrid mode. Teams from India participate physically at Presidency School of Law, Presidency University, Bengaluru. International teams may participate either virtually or physically, at the discretion of the participating institution.

• Memorial Round: submission of memorials on behalf of both the Prosecution and the Defence, due 15 March 2027.
• Researcher's Test: objective and analytical questions assessing legal research skills and understanding of the proposition, on 16 April 2027.
• Preliminary Oral Rounds: each team argues twice, once as the Prosecution and once as the Defence, on 17 April 2027.
• Octa-Final and Quarter-Final Rounds: knock-out rounds on the cumulative performance of teams in the preceding rounds, on 17 April 2027.
• Semi-Final Rounds: knock-out rounds on 18 April 2027.
• Final Round: argued before a bench of judges, senior academicians and legal practitioners on 18 April 2027, followed by the Valedictory Ceremony.

Teams register through the official online registration form linked below. The form asks for the names of both speakers and the researcher, the institution name, city and country, a corresponding email address and phone number, an indication of whether accommodation is required, and the upload of an institutional undertaking. The last date for team registration is 15 February 2027.

• Indian teams, with accommodation: Rs 9,000 per team
• Indian teams, without accommodation: Rs 4,500 per team
• International teams, virtual participation: USD 125
• International teams, physical participation: USD 125

For international teams participating physically, accommodation, travel, visa and related expenses are to be borne by the participating team unless otherwise notified by the Organising Committee. The Organising Committee will provide an official invitation letter and participation confirmation on request, to support visa applications.

The Presidency School of Law organised its Inaugural International Moot Court Competition from 20 to 22 February 2026 in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India. That edition featured an original proposition before the International Court of Justice titled Case Concerning the Legality of Detention of Mittal: United Republic of Othello v. The Republic of Verona, addressing bilateral investment treaties, customary international law, State sovereignty, diplomatic protection and human rights.

The inaugural edition drew 44 teams from law schools and universities in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It was inaugurated by Hon'ble Justice Shivraj V. Patil, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and former Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, and the rounds were adjudicated by practitioners, academicians and experts from India, Germany, Singapore and Australia.

Presidency University, Bengaluru, was established under the Presidency University Act, 2013 and is recognised by the University Grants Commission. It is accredited with NAAC 'A' Grade and holds a QS I-GAUGE Gold Rating. Presidency School of Law is approved by the Bar Council of India and offers B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) and B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) programmes, LL.M. programmes in Intellectual Property and Technology Law, International Law, Criminal Law, Corporate Law and Constitutional and Administrative Law, and a Ph.D. programme.

The School records recognition as Best Emerging Law College in India in the India Today Best Colleges Survey 2025, an AAA+ rating in Careers360 India's Best Law Colleges 2025, a place among the top four law colleges in Karnataka in the CSR Rankings 2024, and 16th position nationally in the IIRF Law Rankings 2023.