TNDALU wins 5th Justice N Santosh Hegde Moot Court 2026

The Alliance Moot Court Society, under the aegis of the Alliance School of Law, Alliance University hosted the 5th Justice N Santosh Hegde Moot Court Competition, 2026, held on March 27-28, 2026.

Winners

The team from School of Excellence in Law, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (TNDALU) emerged as the Winner, comprising Ashwad Dhinakaran, Maryum Ameen, and NE Tamil Iniyan.

The team from School of Law, SASTRA Deemed University secured the Runner-Up position. The team comprised of Ramya Vijayakumar, Treasy Nilophew, and Achuda Manickam.

Individual awards

• Best Speaker: Ashwad Dhinakaran (School of Excellence in Law, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University)

• Best Researcher: Achuda Manickam (School of Law, SASTRA Deemed University)

• Best Memorial: Yash Goyal, Yashaas B, and Yashwin S. (National Law School of India University, Bengaluru)

The competition witnessed participation from 46 teams from 15 states.

The preliminary rounds were held virtually on March 7, 2026 followed by the advanced rounds on campus on March 27 and 28, 2026.

A proposition at the frontiers of public law

Set in the fictional constitutional democracy of Norland, this year’s proposition placed participants at the intersection of climate-induced migration, executive power, and digital governance, raising questions around refugee law, territoriality, and the limits of state authority.

With the introduction of a digital classification system, VIGIL, and the creation of Humanitarian Processing Zones, teams were required to move beyond settled doctrines and engage with questions of contemporary legal systems.

From virtual rounds to the courtrooms

The competition began with a Preliminary Researcher’s Test on February 21, 2026 followed by preliminary rounds conducted across 21 virtual courtrooms.

16 teams advanced to the on-campus rounds, which was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor, Alliance University, Dr B Priestly Shan and in the presence of Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Dean, Alliance School of Law Dr V Shyam Kishore.

A final that reflected the best

The semi-finals featured teams from leading institutions, including National Law School of India University, Bangalore, SASTRA Deemed University, School of Excellence in Law, Tamil Nadu, and KLE Society’s Law College, Bangalore.

The final round brought together School of Excellence in Law and SASTRA Deemed University in a closely contested round marked by clarity of thought and strategic advocacy. The bench comprised of Senior Advocate Promod Nair, Prof (Dr) Jayadevan Nair, and Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, Karan Joseph.

In a remark to the participants, Senior Advocate Promod Nair observed that “you do not choose your case or your side; the case chooses you” reminding them of the realities of legal practice beyond the courtroom.

The 5th Edition: Redefining the boundaries of legal discourse

This edition of the competition stood for the quality of engagement it fostered. Across rounds, participants demonstrated a willingness to engage with legal grey areas.

In its 5th edition, the Justice N Santosh Hegde Moot Court Competition stands as a national forum for legal thought, nuanced advocacy, and engagement with contemporary pressing questions.

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