3rd North-Eastern Hill University National Moot Court Competition 2026, Shillong (Prize Pool Rs 1,05,000)

North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) is a Central University at Shillong, Meghalaya, established by an Act of Parliament in 1973. Its stated objectives are to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in various branches of learning, and to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of the hill areas of the North-Eastern region, particularly their intellectual, academic and cultural advancement. The University carries the motto "Rise Up and Build" and runs three campuses, with the main campus at Umshing Mawkynroh, Shillong.

The Department of Law, established in 2005, has emerged as a leading centre for legal education in North-East India through continuous curriculum development, innovative teaching methods and a strong Clinical Legal Education Programme. The Department offers B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M. and Ph.D. programmes and enrols over 300 students. It organises the NEHU National Moot Court Competition as its flagship mooting initiative and participates in national and international moot court events.

The brochure introduces the Competition's partners as Lawctopus, a legal media platform for law students and young lawyers running since 2010, and Lawctopus Law School (LLS), its practical learning initiative launched in 2020. Rule 16.7 of the Rulebook makes LLS the knowledge partner whose courses carry the participant scholarship code described under Prizes and Awards.

The 3rd North-Eastern Hill University National Moot Court Competition, 2026 is the flagship initiative of the Department of Law, NEHU, Shillong. It provides a national platform for law students to demonstrate their legal research, drafting and advocacy skills while addressing contemporary legal issues, and aims to promote academic excellence, professional ethics and healthy competition among aspiring legal professionals.

The Competition returns after eight years. The 1st edition was organised in October 2016 and the 2nd edition in October 2018. The 2026 edition runs in hybrid mode under Rule 8.1.1: virtual Preliminary Rounds on 29 and 30 September 2026 over Google Meet, and physical Octa-Final, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final Rounds at the Department of Law, NEHU, Shillong on 29 and 30 October 2026. Under Rule 2, the Competition is conducted in the English language.

The brochure names the Patron-in-Chief as Prof. S.K. Barik, Vice-Chancellor (In-Charge), NEHU, and the Patron as Dr. R.K. Mishra, Head, Department of Law, NEHU.

• Objectives: to strengthen participants' legal research, memorial drafting, analytical reasoning and oral advocacy skills through practical exposure to simulated court proceedings, and to foster critical thinking, professional ethics and excellence in legal education.
• Expected outcomes: proficiency in legal research, memorial drafting, case analysis and oral advocacy; confidence in legal argumentation; improved problem-solving and critical thinking; and courtroom advocacy experience.
• The Competition also seeks to facilitate interaction among students, academicians, judges, legal practitioners and researchers from across the country, promoting professional networking and the exchange of ideas.

• Open to bona fide students enrolled in a regular LL.B. (Three-Year) programme, an Integrated LL.B. (Five-Year) programme or an LL.M. programme during the current academic year at any recognised Institution, College or University. The brochure specifies an institution recognised by the Bar Council of India.
• Only one team from each Institution, College or University may participate; the brochure puts it as each recognised University, Law School or College nominating a single team.
• Each team shall consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of three members.
• A three-member team shall have two Speakers and one Researcher (Rule 3.3.1).
• A two-member team shall have two Speakers; both present oral arguments and one of them appears for the Researchers' Test (Rule 3.3.2).
• Every team must field two Speakers for the Oral Pleading Sessions. A team failing this requirement is deemed ineligible to participate (Rule 3.4).
• The Competition is capped at 36 teams from universities and law colleges across the country.
• Each registered team is assigned a Team Coordinator as its official person of contact (Rule 4.1.7).

• Registration is open from 28 July 2026 (12:00 A.M.) to 28 August 2026 (11:59 P.M. IST) through the online Registration Form.
• Registration is limited to thirty-six (36) teams and is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Registration fee: INR 1,500 per team, non-refundable and non-transferable. Registration is confirmed only on successful payment of the fee and submission of the Registration Form (Rules 4.2.1 and 4.2.2).
• Rule 4.3.1 requires the participant's name to be correctly mentioned while paying, under the programme titled "3rd North-Eastern Hill University National Moot Court Competition". Rule 4.3.2 requires the payment receipt to be uploaded along with the Final Registration Form.

Bank account for the Registration Fee, as given in Rule 4.3.3:

• Account Number: 45401965380
• IFSC Code: SBIN0011627
• Account Holder: Ethan Josiah Syiem
• Branch: Rynjah Bazar, Shillong
• Bank Name: State Bank of India

Rule 4.3.4 allows payment instead through UPI, either at the UPI ID ethansyiem@sbi or by scanning the QR code printed in the Rulebook.

• Each team must upload a duly filled and signed Letter of Authorisation in the prescribed format along with the Registration Form (Rule 4.1.5). The format is hyperlinked at page 8 of the Rulebook and is also in the Competition Resources drive; the direct link is listed under Important Links below.
• On submission, the Team Representative receives an automated acknowledgement email. This is not confirmation of registration. Registration is confirmed only after verification by the Organising Committee, after which each team is allotted a unique Team Code communicated by official email (Rule 4.1.4).
• No change in team composition is permitted after registration except with prior approval of the Organising Committee. Any change in contact details must be communicated immediately (Rules 4.1.6 and 4.1.7).
• Teams reaching the physical rounds must complete a further physical registration and verification at the Department of Law, NEHU on 29 October 2026 (Rule 4.1.8).

The 2026 proposition is Sigmas for Cultural Livelihood (SFCL) v. Union of Art Land, a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of Art Land. It turns on the right of the Jal Sigmas, an indigenous tribal community, to livelihood through their cultural practices (the fifteen-day Jalshobhit festival in its purest form) under Article 21; the place of culture as a component of the Sustainable Development Goals; the responsibility of the respective governments to ensure pollution-free, pristine water in Water Land; and whether the pristineness of Water Land and the river Jalamrit must be preserved given its cultural role, with developmental activity relocated elsewhere. The proposition also engages the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the World Heritage Convention 1972 and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention 2003. Parties are free to include new points in their memorials and oral arguments that support their claims. Except for the facts stated, the legal and constitutional structure of Art Land is the same as India.

Under Rule 6.1, teams may seek clarifications by email to nehumoot2026@gmail.com by 25 August 2026 (11:59 P.M. IST) with "Clarification" as the subject. Rule 6.2 provides that all clarifications will be released on 27 August 2026 on the Competition Drive and conveyed to teams by email. Clarifications form an integral part of the Moot Proposition.

Each team must prepare Written Submissions for both the Petitioner and the Respondent, bearing only the Team Code and disclosing no institutional identity. All document metadata must be removed before submission.

• Maximum 30 pages per Written Submission, excluding the Cover Page. Cover Page colour: blue for Petitioner, red for Respondent. Team Code goes on the top right corner of the Cover Page.
• No annexures, photographs, diagrams or similar representations are permitted.
• Body: A4 page size, Times New Roman, font size 12, line spacing 1.5, justified alignment, 1 inch margins on all sides.
• Footnotes: Times New Roman, font size 10, line spacing 1.0, paragraph spacing 0, justified, with no additional spacing between footnotes.
• Citation style: OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities), 5th Edition. Rule 7.1.10 hyperlinks the guide; the link is reproduced under Important Links below.
• Mandatory contents: Cover Page; Table of Contents; List of Abbreviations; Index of Authorities; Statement of Jurisdiction (max 1 page); Statement of Facts (max 2 pages); Issues Raised; Summary of Arguments (max 2 pages); Arguments Advanced (max 20 pages); Prayer (max 1 page).
• The Cover Page must carry the Team Code, the name and year of the Competition, the name of the case, the side represented and the name of the forum. The List of Abbreviations and Index of Authorities must be arranged alphabetically and must match the authorities cited; failure to comply is a formatting violation.
• Compendium: optional, a single compendium not exceeding 100 pages, uploaded in PDF alongside the memorials by 15 September 2026 and named as Team Code followed by an underscore and "Compendium" (for example 06_Compendium). During the virtual rounds the team must present the compendium to the judges by screen sharing whenever required. A team that has not submitted a compendium within the deadline may not rely on one in the Preliminary Rounds or any later round. Teams that submitted a soft copy must bring two hard copies for the physical rounds, free of any identifying mark.
• Soft copies of both memorials (and the compendium, if any) are due by 15 September 2026, 11:59 P.M. IST through the prescribed online form. Files are named as Team Code + underscore + 'P' for Petitioner and Team Code + underscore + 'R' for Respondent.
• Memorials submitted more than two days after the deadline will not be accepted and the team stands disqualified. No revision, supplement or addition is permitted once submitted. Teams must carry five hard copies each of the Petitioner and Respondent memorials to physical registration.
• Penalty marks under Rule 7.4 (out of a total of 40): formatting violations in main body text 1; formatting violations in citations and footnotes 1; substantive violations in citations and footnotes 2; non-compliance with the prescribed memorial submission format 2; inclusion of affidavits, annexures, photographs or sketches 2; breach of the page limit 5; non-compliance with mandatory memorial contents 3; late submission 4; similarity exceeding 30 percent 10; difference between soft copy and hard copy 10.

The Competition consists of Preliminary, Octa-Final, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final Rounds. The brochure sets out the ladder: of the 36 participating teams the top 16 qualify for the Octa-Final Round, 8 then advance to the Quarter-Final Round, 4 to the Semi-Final Round and 2 compete in the Final Round. Under Rule 8.1.3 the Octa-Final Round is conducted only where more than twenty teams participate; with twenty or fewer teams, the top eight advance directly to the Quarter-Final Round. A draw of lots, with or without a power match, decides match-ups and sides before every oral session, and each team receives the opposing memorial before the session without any disclosure of identity. Questions from the Bench form part of the session and the timer stays paused while the Bench is questioning a speaker.

• Preliminary Rounds: online over Google Meet on 29 and 30 September 2026. Each team argues once as Petitioner and once as Respondent, against a different team each round and, as far as possible, before a different panel. Twenty minutes per team inclusive of rebuttal and sur-rebuttal, with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 minutes per speaker and up to 5 minutes reserved for rebuttals. Attendance at the inaugural session on 29 September, followed by the draw of lots, is mandatory for all registered teams. The top sixteen teams by combined preliminary score advance to the Octa-Final Round.
• Octa-Final and Quarter-Final Rounds: physical, 29 October 2026, on a knockout basis. Thirty minutes per team inclusive of rebuttal and sur-rebuttal, 10 to 15 minutes per speaker, up to 5 minutes for rebuttals.
• Semi-Final Round: physical, 30 October 2026, knockout. Forty-five minutes per team inclusive of rebuttal and sur-rebuttal, 15 to 25 minutes per speaker, up to 5 minutes for rebuttals.
• Final Round: physical, 30 October 2026. Sixty minutes per team for oral arguments with an additional ten minutes for rebuttals and sur-rebuttals, 25 to 35 minutes per speaker. The winning team is declared Winner and the losing team Runners-Up.
• Oral arguments need not be confined to the Written Submissions provided they stay within the scope of the Moot Proposition. The Researcher, if any, may pass notes to the speakers at the discretion of the Bench and must remain present throughout the round; Researchers may not address the Bench.
• Order of oral pleadings under Rule 13.1.1: Petitioner Speaker 1, Petitioner Speaker 2, Respondent Speaker 1, Respondent Speaker 2, rebuttal by either Petitioner speaker, sur-rebuttal by either Respondent speaker. Rebuttals are confined to responding to the Respondent's arguments and sur-rebuttals to responding to the rebuttals.
• Before each round every team must inform the Court Master of the order of speakers, the speaker delivering the rebuttal or sur-rebuttal and the division of time; once communicated these cannot be altered except with the permission of the Bench. Any extension of time is solely at the Bench's discretion and an unauthorised extension may attract penalties.
• Rule 13.2 on time division: the division of time must be communicated to the Court Master at least 10 minutes before the round begins; any time exceeded by a speaker is deducted from the succeeding speaker's time or from the time reserved for rebuttal or sur-rebuttal; and the decision of the Bench on division of time, rebuttals, sur-rebuttals and extensions is final.
• Rule 8.7 requires strict adherence to the allotted time and to the side assigned by draw of lots; any breach of Rule 8 may attract penalties determined by the Organising Committee.
• Rule 10, ex-parte rounds and dummy teams: where a team withdraws at the last minute or faces connectivity failure in a physical or virtual round, the opposing team on the fixture still puts its submissions to the Bench and is scored on the usual parameters. If an odd number of teams is registered for the Preliminary Rounds, the Organising Committee may appoint a Dummy Team from the host institution; the Dummy Team's performance is not evaluated and its scores are not counted for qualification to the advanced rounds.

• Memorial evaluation (100 marks): knowledge of law and depth of research 20; use of authorities and precedents 20; clarity of thought and organisation of arguments 15; interpretation of applicable law 10; incorporation of facts into arguments 10; originality 10; style of presentation 10; relief sought 5. Memorials are assessed by a separate panel of judges that does not adjudicate the oral rounds, and Rule 7.4 penalties are deducted from the memorial score.
• Oral evaluation (100 marks): knowledge of law 20; use of authorities and precedents 20; persuasiveness and advocacy 10; incorporation of facts into arguments 10; clarity of thought and expression 10; response to questions 10; relief sought 10; courtroom etiquette and mannerisms 10. The decision of the judges panel on allocation of marks is final, and all panellists are briefed on the criteria before the Competition to ensure uniform marking.
• Researchers' Test: physical, 29 October 2026, for the designated Researchers of teams qualifying for the physical rounds. It tests knowledge of the applicable law, the Moot Proposition and the application of law to the facts. Thirty MCQs including five compulsory Star Questions of equal weightage. No books, notes, legal materials, electronic devices or other reference material are permitted, and any violation may attract penalties.
• Researchers' Test tie-break under Rule 14.5: preference goes to the Researcher with the higher number of correct Star Questions; if the tie persists, to the Researcher who answered the greatest number of questions correctly in chronological order; and if it still persists, the team with the higher memorial score is declared the winner.
• Round tie-break under Rule 8.1.8: where two or more teams tie, the team with the higher memorial score proceeds to the next round, and if the tie persists it is resolved by a draw of lots conducted by the Organising Committee.

• The Organising Committee provides complimentary accommodation and meals to all participants for the duration of the physical rounds. Accommodation is at the University Guest House (U Tirot Sing Syiem Guest House) on a twin-sharing basis, available from the afternoon of 28 October 2026 until the morning of 31 October 2026. Participants extending their stay bear the additional cost.
• Dress code: formal attire throughout, whether virtual or physical. Female participants wear a white or black salwar with white kurta and black blazer, or a white shirt and black trousers with black blazer and black shoes. Male participants wear a white shirt and black trousers with black blazer and black shoes. Non-compliance is regarded as contempt of court.
• Anonymity is strict. Teams are identified only by Team Code and must not disclose identity in written submissions, the compendium, reference material or any oral session; identifying information on any material must be completely concealed to the satisfaction of the Organising Committee before a round. Violations may attract penalties including disqualification.
• Scouting in any form is strictly prohibited throughout the Competition and may attract penalties including disqualification. Complaints may be made to the Organising Committee or the Redressal Committee.
• Virtual round conduct under Rule 9: stable internet, clear audio and video, camera on, microphone muted except when addressing the Bench, professional background, charged devices with power backup, joining at least 10 minutes early using only the Team Code. Participation from public places, open spaces, hallways or cyber cafes is not permitted. Mobile phones, external internet sources and other devices may not be used for any purpose other than participating. Screen sharing is allowed only at the Bench's discretion. The Organising Committee provides no technical or infrastructural support.
• Rule 9.10: if one or both speakers are unable to join an Oral Pleading Session because of connectivity issues, the team may be disqualified, and no substitution of speakers is permitted. Rule 9.9 allows a reasonable opportunity to reconnect, after which the Organising Committee's decision is final. Rule 9.11: a team failing to join within 5 minutes of the allotted time is treated as having withdrawn and may not re-join except with the permission of the Bench.
• Code of conduct (Rule 18): violations invite sanctions decided by the Faculty Convenor. Teams must behave with dignity towards other participants, judges, organisers and volunteers, must not attempt to influence judges or organisers, must maintain courtroom decorum and must not engage in unethical, unprofessional or wrongful conduct. Rule 18.6 prohibits participants from consuming or carrying drugs, alcohol, arms or ammunition, or indulging in any immoral or illegal activity or other form of addiction during the Competition.
• Miscellaneous (Rule 17): copyright in all Written Submissions vests with the Organising Committee, which is not liable for any claim arising out of their contents. No audio or video recording of any Oral Pleading Session may be made without the prior permission of the Organising Committee, the Bench and the opposing team, and the Organising Committee reserves the right to record or reproduce any round. Grievances about rule violations must be reported to the Organising Committee or the Redressal Committee immediately after the round concerned, and teams must not approach the Bench directly. Schedule or timing changes are communicated by email. Scores stay confidential with the organising University, though on a written request from the statutory authorities of a participating institution, made within 7 days of the event, the Organising Committee may disclose that institution's team results.
• Powers of the Organising Committee (Rule 20): the Committee may amend, modify or repeal any rule and adopt additional measures, must inform registered participants within 24 hours of any such change, and any communication to one team member is deemed communicated to the whole team.
• Accessibility (Rule 19): teams needing screen-reader-compatible versions of the competition documents may write to nehumoot2026@gmail.com; if the virtual platform is inaccessible to a participant the Organising Committee will make reasonable efforts to assist or provide an alternative; and participants with hearing or speech impairments may be accompanied by an interpreter subject to prior intimation and approval.
• Grievance redressal (Rule 21): grievances go to the Faculty Convenor by email to nehumoot2026@gmail.com, and the decision of the Faculty Convenor in consultation with the other members of the Organising Committee is final and binding.
• Official social handles listed in the brochure and the Rulebook for updates: @nehu_mootcourt, @Nehu Mootcourt, @nehu mootcourt and @NehuNMC_official.