Lex Bonanza 2026 (Chapter XV) International Law Fest at Indore Institute of Law [Moot Court, Trial Advocacy, Mediation and 7 more competitions; 23-25 October 2026; Prizes up to Rs 2 Lakh]

Lex Bonanza is the flagship law fest of Indore Institute of Law (IIL), an autonomous college affiliated to DAVV and approved by the Bar Council of India, with NAAC A+ accreditation (score 3.45). The fest began in 2012 and took on an international character in 2017, with past editions drawing teams from the UK, Bangladesh, Nigeria and other countries.

Chapter XV (Lex Bonanza 2k26) runs from 23 to 25 October 2026 on the IIL campus in Indore. The overall theme is Cyber Security and Emerging Technology Law: Media Law, Digital Law and Emerging Technologies. The fest has ten competitions, and the organisers advertise prizes of up to Rs 2 lakh across them.

• International Moot Court Competition (23-25 October): Deepfakes, Artificial Intelligence and the Right to Privacy. The proposition, The Digital Shadow, deals with an AI-generated deepfake of a journalist and whether privacy protects a person's identity from being digitally reproduced without consent.
• International Trial Advocacy Competition: sub-theme Criminal Intelligence. Two preliminary rounds (one for the prosecution, one for the defence), then quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.
• International Mediation Competition: Cybersecurity Compliance and Corporate Negligence, based on the IT Act 2000, the DPDP Act 2023 and the BNS 2023.
• International Crime Scene Investigation Competition (24 October): The digital trail, unveiling cyber crime through digital evidence and emerging technologies. There is a 15-minute observation phase and a 90-minute report phase.
• International Bail Drafting Competition (23 October): The Digital Arrest and AI-Deepfake Syndicate Scam. The problem is released one hour before the start, with three hours to draft. No internet or bare acts are allowed.
• International Judgment Writing Competition (23 October): a Sessions Court judgment under the IT Act 2000, the DPDP Act 2023 and the BNS 2023.
• International Law Quiz Competition: Surveillance, Privacy and Digital Rights. There is a one-hour written screening round, followed by a case law round, an audio-visual buzzer round and a rapid-fire final.
• International Debate Competition (25 October): Asian Parliamentary format. Motions are AI: Boon or Threat to Humanity, and Digital Privacy vs National Security.
• International Extempore Competition (25 October): Right to be Forgotten vs Freedom of the Press, and Media Trials and the Right to a Fair Trial. Speakers get one minute to prepare and two minutes to speak.
• International Street Play Competition (25 October): cyber security awareness. Sub-themes are Stay Alert Before You Click (phishing and online fraud) and Digital Arrest and Fake Authority (cyber extortion). Performances run 10 to 12 minutes.

• The fest is open to students of the 3-year LL.B. and 5-year integrated LL.B. programmes. Moot court teams must come from a university, college or institution recognised by the Bar Council of India.
• The Judgment Writing Competition is also open to LL.M. students.
• School students may enter the Debate, Extempore and Street Play competitions.
• Age limit: students in the 3-year LL.B. programme who are over 25 cannot register for any Lex Bonanza 2026 competition.
• Each participant must choose one of the four core competitions (Moot Court, Trial Advocacy, Mediation or Crime Scene Investigation). The other events are open to everyone, up to a maximum of eight events per student.
• Each institution may send one team in the Moot Court, Mediation, Trial Advocacy and Crime Scene Investigation competitions. The General Rules allow up to two teams per institution in the other six events. However, the Law Quiz page says each college may nominate only one team, and the fee table allows one Street Play team per institute. Check with the Registration Coordinators before entering a second team.
• Team sizes: Moot Court 3 (two speakers and one researcher); Trial Advocacy 4 (two speakers and two researchers who also act as witnesses); Mediation, Crime Scene Investigation and Law Quiz 3 each; Debate 2; Bail Drafting, Judgment Writing and Extempore are individual events; Street Play 6 to 15 students, with both male and female participants.

• Bail Drafting: Rs 1,000 (1 participant)
• Crime Scene Investigation: Rs 1,500 (team of 3)
• Extempore: Rs 500 (1 participant)
• Debate: Rs 1,000 (team of 2)
• Moot Court: Rs 3,000 (team of 3)
• Judgment Writing: Rs 500 (1 participant)
• Law Quiz: Rs 1,000 (team of 3)
• Mediation: Rs 1,500 (team of 3)
• Trial Advocacy: Rs 2,000 (team of 4)
• Street Play: Rs 3,000 for up to 8 participants, Rs 4,000 for 8 to 12, and Rs 5,000 for more than 12

The brochure states the Street Play fee in two ways. The fee table gives the slabs above. The Street Play page says the standard fee covers at most 6 participants, with an extra Rs 700 for every 2 more. Confirm the Street Play fee with the Registration Coordinators before paying.

The brochure's early bird fees (Moot Court Rs 2,000, Mediation Rs 1,000, Trial Advocacy Rs 1,500) were valid only until 20 September 2026. The registration form gives a payment link (rzp.io/rzp/lex27). The brochure labels the same link as the payment link for accommodation.

The optional accommodation package costs Rs 1,500 per participant per day for Indian delegates and EUR 13 per participant per day for foreign delegates. It covers a stay at Nakhrali Dhani Resort, Indore, meals and transport between the hotel and the college. Check-in starts at 11:00 AM on 23 October 2026 and check-out is at 8:00 AM on 26 October 2026 (the General Rules page gives 9:00 AM, so confirm with the Accommodation Head). Meals run from lunch on 23 October to breakfast on 26 October.

Delegates who do not take the package must arrange their own stay and transport. You can say whether you need accommodation in the registration form.

Fill in the official Lex Bonanza 2k26 registration form by 10 October 2026. The form collects your name and institution, links to the separate form for each competition, and has the payment link.

The brochure also says that each student must submit an Individual Student Registration Form, and the team leader must submit a Team Form on behalf of the team, with a scanned copy of the payment confirmation. It says these forms can be downloaded from the official website and sent to a designated email address, but it does not give the email address or the download link. Ask the Registration Coordinators how to send these forms.

The last date to register and to submit the electronic memorial is 10 October 2026. Hard copies of the memorials are due on 23 October 2026, which is also the date of the Research Test. Preliminary Rounds I and II and the quarter-finals are on 24 October. The semi-final and final are on 25 October. Teams argue both sides in the preliminaries, and the top 8 teams go on to the knockout rounds.

• All teams must report at Indore Institute of Law by 9:00 AM on 23 October 2026, and at their event venue at least 30 minutes before it starts. Teams that report late may be disqualified.
• Attendance at the inaugural and valedictory ceremonies is compulsory. Results are announced at the valedictory ceremony on 25 October.
• Formal dress code (General Rules): white shirt, black blazer, black tie, black trousers and black formal shoes (or black ballerinas) with white socks. The Moot Court page also allows black and white salwar kurta or Western formals for women.
• All proceedings are in English, except the street play.
• Carry your college ID card at all times.
• Winners must hand in their bank details after the valedictory ceremony so the prize money can be transferred.
• The organisers say all dates are provisional and may change.