All India 1st Mock Trial Competition 2026 by School of Law, IILM University, Greater Noida (Hybrid; Winner Rs 51,000)

IILM was established in 1993 under the aegis of the Ram Krishan & Sons Charitable Trust and has grown into one of the better known private universities in the Delhi NCR region. The Greater Noida university was set up under the Uttar Pradesh Private University (Amendment) Act, 2022, and sits on a campus of over 26 acres at 16-18 Knowledge Park II. IILM also runs campuses at New Delhi and Gurugram.

IILM Law School, Greater Noida began in 2022 with its B.A. LL.B. and LL.M. programmes and admitted its first BBA LL.B. and LL.B. batches in August 2025. The school builds strength in corporate law, alternative dispute resolution, legal writing and intellectual property rights, with an emphasis on practical training alongside doctrinal teaching.

The IILM Mock Trial Society was set up in 2026 under the School of Law, Greater Noida, to give students a working understanding of trial room practice through simulated proceedings. Its stated purpose is to close the gap between classroom legal education and real litigation by building skills in legal drafting, advocacy, client counselling, oral argument and examination of witnesses.

Alongside competitions, the Society runs workshops, guest lectures by practising advocates and judges, and training sessions on trial advocacy technique, and encourages students to enter national and international mock trial competitions.

The competition is built around the theme of male victimisation, an area the organisers describe as under-discussed in both legal and social contexts. The stated aim is to have participants engage critically with the case for gender-neutral criminal laws, examine the particular difficulties male complainants face inside the legal system, and develop the ability to handle gender-sensitive matters with empathy, neutrality and legal precision.

The proposition is a criminal trial, State of Mandhya v. Naina Sharma & Raghav Sharma, before the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Indrapur, a fictional state within the Union of India. The charges framed are voluntarily causing grievous hurt under section 117(2) and wrongful confinement under section 127(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, read with section 3(5) for the second accused. The proposition, along with the charge sheet, witness statements and forensic material, is set out in full in the official brochure.

• Students pursuing either a 3-year or a 5-year LL.B. degree at any law school, college or university recognised by the Bar Council of India are eligible.
• Team members must be bona fide students of the institution they represent, and the team must be authorised by the mock trial society, faculty-in-charge or Dean of that institution. The physical registration form for this authorisation is attached at the end of the brochure.
• Each team must have exactly five members: two speakers, one researcher and two witnesses.
• The two witnesses form part of the five-member team. A witness need not be a law student, but must be a student of a recognised institution or university.
• No university or institution may send more than two teams.
• Once final registration is complete, a team may not change its composition in any manner.
• The official language of the competition is English.
• Dress code is court formals: black trousers, white shirt and black blazer; participants may alternatively wear a white churidar suit or white saree with a black blazer.

The competition runs in hybrid mode. The preliminary and quarter-final rounds are online; the semi-final and final rounds are held on campus at Greater Noida.

• Every team argues twice in the preliminary rounds, once for the prosecution and once for the defence, with 30 minutes per side. No two teams meet more than once at this stage.
• The top eight teams advance to the quarter-final, the top four to the semi-final and the top two to the final. Advanced rounds run on a knockout basis with 45 minutes per side.
• In the advanced rounds each speaker must conduct either examination-in-chief or cross-examination of all witnesses, and deliver either the opening or the closing statement.
• Within the 45-minute allocation: opening statements 5 minutes per side, examinations-in-chief 14 minutes each, cross-examinations 16 minutes each, closing statements 10 minutes per side.
• There is no requirement to file written submissions in advance, though teams may hand written submissions directly to the judges if they wish.
• Fixtures at every stage are decided by draw of lots, with the preliminary draw taking place on 14 October 2026.
• Teams argue under an allotted team code. Disclosing the team's name, institution or city invites penalties up to disqualification, and scouting other teams' rounds is prohibited.
• Participants may use their own bare acts, printouts and commentaries. Electronic gadgets are barred during the oral rounds.

Each team brings its own two witnesses, who are cross-examined by the opposing team. The number of witnesses on the prosecution and defence sides is specified in the proposition.

• Witness roles are allotted on the late evening of 14 October 2026 for the preliminary rounds, 15 October for the quarter-final, 2 November for the semi-final, and one hour before the final round begins.
• Witnesses are allotted to their respective counsel 45 minutes before each round.
• Witnesses are judged on performance, preparation, creativity, body language and confidence.
• Witnesses are expected to dress according to the role allotted to them; excessive make-up or unusual costumes are not permitted.

Early bird registration is Rs 3,500 and closes on 5 September 2026. Standard registration is Rs 4,000 and closes on 20 September 2026. The brochure notes that the fee covers accommodation for outstation students. The organisers state that slots are limited and registrations may close early.

Registration is completed through the official Google Form, which is mandatory. Applicants pay the registration fee via the payment link or QR code carried in the form and the brochure, and must also complete the physical registration form attached at the end of the brochure, get it signed and sealed by their university, and upload it with the Google Form. The form asks for the institution's full name and address, confirmation that the institution has authorised the team, and an upload of the official authorisation letter (one file, up to 1 MB).

Registration is treated as complete only once the fee is paid, and the organisers state that no refund of the registration fee will be given if a team withdraws.

Clarifications to the proposition must be sought by email to mocktrialsociety.gn@iilm.edu on or before 30 September 2026 (11:59 pm IST). Requests sent after that date will not be entertained. Clarifications will be released on 2 October 2026 and emailed to the registered address of each participating team.

Accommodation for the offline semi-final and final rounds is provided by the Mock Trial Society to qualifying teams. Teams wishing to arrive a day earlier or leave a day later must pay the regular accommodation charge for the extra period. Drinking and smoking on the premises are prohibited and attract disqualification.

Certificates of merit and participation are issued to qualifying and participating teams. Teams whose run ends in the online rounds receive e-certificates; teams reaching the offline rounds receive hard-copy certificates, which are handed out only to participants present at the valedictory ceremony. Cash awards are released after the winners furnish institutional ID, bank account details and other documents required by the organising committee.