4th All India Moot Court Competition 2026, Soundarya College of Law, Bengaluru (Prize Pool Rs 95,000)

The Moot Court Society of Soundarya College of Law, Bengaluru is hosting the 4th All India Moot Court Competition 2026 on its campus on 23 and 24 October 2026. The competition is conducted entirely in physical mode, in English, and the Applied Animal Advocacy Certificate Program of the People for Animals Public Policy Foundation is the Knowledge Partner for this edition.

Soundarya College of Law was established in 2018 under the Soundarya Educational Trust. It is affiliated to Karnataka State Law University, Hubballi and approved by the Bar Council of India, and offers the 3-year LL.B., 5-year B.A. LL.B. and 5-year B.Com. LL.B. programmes. The 3rd edition in October 2025 drew 42 teams and was judged by a bench that included a sitting judge of the High Court of Karnataka.

The proposition for 2026 is set in the fictional Republic of Indiana and turns on the management of free-ranging community dogs in the State of Pravarsha. It asks the Supreme Court of Indiana, sitting as a Constitution Bench, to rule on the constitutional validity and scope of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 and on the legality of a State Government Order restricting the release of captured community dogs.

The dispute engages Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the mandatory release requirement under the ABC Rules, and the interplay between Articles 14, 21, 48A and 51A(g) of the Constitution. It pits the State's obligation to protect public health against the statutory commitment to humane treatment of community animals. The full proposition, along with three annexures, is set out in the official brochure.

• Open to students currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in law from a recognised university, that is, the 3-year LL.B. or a 5-year integrated law course.
• Each team must have a minimum of two and a maximum of three members: two designated speakers and one researcher.
• Only one team is allowed to register per college.
• Participation is capped at 40 teams. Slots go strictly first-come, first-served on completion of payment, and the portal closes as soon as the cap is reached regardless of the stated deadline.

Registration runs in two stages.

• Phase I - Provisional registration: teams fill the online provisional registration form on or before 19 September 2026. The Organizing Committee reviews the application and allots a Temporary Team Code by email. A Temporary Team Code does not guarantee a slot; it only permits the team to move to the payment stage.
• Phase II - Final registration and payment: teams pay the fee on or before 26 September 2026 through the payment gateway sent with the Temporary Team Code, then upload the payment receipt through the Final Confirmation Form. A soft copy of the filled registration form with payment details must also be emailed to scl.mootcourt@soundaryainstitutions.in.
• Phase III - Permanent Team Code: once payment is verified, a Permanent Team Code is issued. It becomes the team's sole identity for the competition, and disclosure of institutional identity beyond that code leads to immediate disqualification.

The hard copy of the registration form along with travel plans must reach the organisers on or before 21 October 2026. No requests for extensions, late registration or delayed payment will be entertained.

• With accommodation: Rs 7,500 per team.
• Without accommodation: Rs 5,500 per team.

Payment is made through the designated gateway shared by email, or by bank transfer to the college's Axis Bank account (Account Holder: Soundarya College of Law, A/c 917010052562868, IFSC UTIB0002926, MICR 560211062). The fee is strictly non-refundable and non-transferable once a Permanent Team Code has been allotted.

Each team must prepare memorials for both sides. Soft copies for both sides are due by 11:59 pm on 19 October 2026, emailed in PDF to scl.mootcourt@soundaryainstitutions.in with the subject line "Memorial Submission - Team Code" and files named on the pattern SCLMCC002 PET and SCLMCC002 RES. Six hard copies of each memorial must reach the organisers by 21 October 2026 by speed post or courier.

• Cover page: Team Code on the upper left corner, case title, blue for Petitioner and red for Respondent.
• Main text in Times New Roman 12 with 1.5 spacing; footnotes in Times New Roman 10 with single spacing; 1.5 inch margins on all sides; printed one side; spiral bound; page numbers on the bottom right.
• Citation format: Bluebook 21st edition, applied uniformly.
• Contents: Table of Contents, Index of Authorities, Statement of Jurisdiction, Statement of Facts, Statement of Issues, Summary of Arguments and Arguments Advanced.
• Memorials are marked out of 100. Up to 20 marks may be deducted for plagiarism. No revisions or supplements are accepted after submission, and any difference between the soft and hard copies may lead to disqualification.
• Strict anonymity applies: no name of a member, faculty coordinator, institution, state or city may appear anywhere on the memorials, compendiums or judgment papers.

Two preliminary rounds are held, each team arguing once for the Petitioner and once for the Respondent, with 30 minutes per team and a maximum of 18 minutes per speaker. The top 16 teams advance to the Octa Finals, from which 8 teams reach the Quarter Finals (40 minutes per team), 4 reach the Semi Finals and 2 reach the Final Round (50 minutes per team). Teams representing the parties may not use any electronic device inside the courtroom.

This edition introduces an Amicus Curiae Round. Of the four teams that lose in the Quarter Finals, the two with the highest scores return to the Semi Finals as Amicus Curiae teams, one in each courtroom, alongside the Petitioner and Respondent. A single designated speaker gets 15 minutes and may use an electronic device for reference. Amicus performances are marked out of 50 on neutrality, novelty of argument, knowledge of law, handling of judicial queries and oratory.

A researcher test on the moot problem and the relevant law is held in offline mode on 23 October 2026. Only the researcher may sit for it; a two-member team nominates one member at the formal registration.

Cash prizes total Rs 95,000. The Winners take Rs 45,000 and a trophy, the 1st Runner Up takes Rs 30,000 and a trophy, and awards of Rs 5,000 each go to the Best Mooter, Best Researcher, Best Amicus Curiae and Best Memorial. A certificate of participation is awarded to every participant on completion of the competition, and winners are announced at the valedictory ceremony on 24 October 2026.