Mooting builds confidence of aspiring lawyers: Supreme Court judge

Reflecting on his own time in law school, Justice Viswanathan shared that moot court competitions did not exist back then and emphasised how fortunate today's students are to have such opportunities.

New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice K V Vishwanathan highlighted the importance of mooting in a law student’s journey, stating that it builds confidence and prepares aspiring lawyers for their professional careers.

Speaking as chief guest at the prestigious 21st K K Luthra Memorial Moot Court Competition, organised by the Campus Law Centre at Delhi University, he said mooting enhances legal writing skills, which are crucial for drafting and advocacy, and helps develop legal research abilities.

Reflecting on his own time in law school, Justice Viswanathan said that he had himself participated in Bar Council moot court, though not many competitions existed back then, and emphasised how "fortunate" today's students are to have such opportunities. The judge was a part of a team of Bharathiar University Coimbatore, which won the competition in 1987.

Quoting, "A good lawyer may not know the law but knows where to look for it," he stressed the significance of strong research skills in legal practice.

Justice Viswanathan also emphasised the art of advocacy, stating that a lawyer must know what to say and what not to say. He advised against aggression in court and advocated for a composed and well-modulated tone while presenting arguments.

He also spoke about the “Seven Lamps of Advocacy” viz honesty, courage, industry, wit, eloquence, fellowship, and tact—as essential qualities of a successful lawyer.

Justice Viswanathan urged students not to confine themselves to a single area of law but to explore various legal disciplines, as the law is a multifaceted and ever-evolving field.

Justice Viswanathan, in his speech, congratulated the Luthra family, including senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and Geeta Luthra, for successfully hosting the K K Luthra Memorial Moot Court Competition for the past 21 years.

He spoke about the inspirational journey of the late Luthra and encouraged students to learn from his legacy.

The concluding remarks and vote of thanks were delivered by advocate Samarth Krishan Luthra.

According to Prof Alka Chawla, Professor in charge of Campus Las Centre, established in 2005 in honour of the late senior advocate K K Luthra, the event continued to inspire legal excellence.

This year, the competition received participation from 127 institutions from India and abroad.

The 75 teams shortlisted for the competition were from various institutions, including NLSIU, Bangalore and Symbiosis Law School, ILS Law College, Pune and National Law Institute University, Bhopal.

The competition would also have participation from international teams including, Northumbria University (United Kingdom), University of Mauritius (Mauritius), University of Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Tashkent State University of Law (Uzbekistan), Prithvi Narayan Campus (Tribhuvan University), Tulsipur Metro College, National Law College, Nepal Law Campus (Nepal), Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT), Independent University (Bangladesh), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (Sri Lanka) and University of Lagos (Nigeria).

This year’s moot problem invited teams to explore the legality of the use of artificial intelligence tools in policing, an emerging issue across jurisdictions around the globe.

Participants would debate the authenticity, reliability and probative value of evidentiary reports prepared by digital forensic tools, including facial recognition software and social media analytical tools.