IBA ICC Moot Court Competition – India National Rounds 2026 — By NLU Delhi
The India National Rounds of the IBA ICC Moot Court Competition 2026 are being organised by National Law University, Delhi. These rounds follow rules similar to the International Finals in The Hague, with NLU Delhi and the Organising Committee serving as the final authority for all rule interpretations. The competition aims to strengthen students’ understanding of International Criminal Law and the functioning of the International Criminal Court through simulated proceedings.
Important Dates and Timeline
• Registration opens on 8 November 2025
• Last date for registration: 4 December 2025 (11:59 p.m. IST)
• Deadline for clarification questions: 4 December 2025
• Last date to modify team composition: 21 December 2025
• Last date to pay participation fees: 4 January 2026 (11:59 p.m. IST)
• Memorial submission deadline: 10 January 2026 (11:59 p.m. IST)
• Oral rounds dates: 13 to 15 March 2026 (physical rounds)
Eligibility and Team Composition
• Only actively enrolled students in undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes may participate
• Exchange students may participate through their host university
• Students already admitted to legal practice are not eligible
• Each team must have three Speakers
• Total team size cannot exceed seven members
• Teams may include up to two Researchers and two Coaches (one Leading, one Assistant)
Memorial Submission Rules
• All three Memorials must be emailed to: iccmootsubmissions@nludelhi.ac.in
• Submissions must include both Word and PDF files, totalling six files
• Memorials must not contain identifying information such as team member names, nationality, residence, or university
• Violations may attract penalties of up to forty points
• Word limit for each Memorial is 10,000 words including footnotes
• The prescribed order of content must be strictly followed
• Front covers must be colour-coded:
• Red for Defence
• Green for Prosecution
• Blue for Government
• Late submissions incur a penalty of three points per day
• Submissions received after 13 January 2026 lead to disqualification
• Penalties for formatting violations are capped at twenty points per Memorial, excluding late submission penalties
Use of AI Tools and Plagiarism Guidelines
• Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT must not be used to produce substantive content
• AI tools may be used only for grammar or clarity checks
• Improper AI use may lead to penalties up to fifty points or disqualification
• Plagiarism results in immediate disqualification
• A similarity index of up to 50 percent (including citations) is permissible, but direct copying without citation is prohibited
Oral Rounds Structure and Rules
• Oral rounds will be held physically from 13 to 15 March 2026
• Each team will argue three times in the roles of Defence, Government, and Prosecution
• Written and oral scores are weighted equally, each carrying 50 percent of the total
• The top fifteen teams from the Preliminary Rounds qualify for the Advanced Rounds
• Only the three Speakers may present; Researchers cannot argue
• Verbatim reading from Memorials is prohibited
• Speaking time:
• Up to 20 minutes for each main presentation
• Up to 10 minutes for rebuttals
• Questions from the Bench count toward total time
• Communication with coaches or non-presenting members during hearings is not allowed
• Use of laptops, phones, or electronic devices during hearings is prohibited
• Only analogue or digital watches (not smartwatches) are allowed
• Scouting—observing rounds in which the team is not competing—is forbidden and leads to disqualification
Registration Fee
The registration process for the India National Rounds involves two separate stages of payment, applicable to every participating team.
Initial Registration Fee
• Each team must pay an initial fee of INR 7,000, irrespective of the number of members.
• Teams must submit the filled-in registration form and complete this payment on or before 4 January 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (IST).
• The payment will be made through an online portal, and the link for this portal will be shared directly with registered teams via email.
Oral Rounds Participation Fee
• After the memorial qualification stage, selected teams will be invited to participate in the Oral Rounds.
• These qualifying teams must pay an additional fee of INR 10,000.
• The last date for this second payment will be communicated later by the Organising Committee.
Awards
• Winner
• First Runner-up
• Second Runner-up
• Best Speaker (based on Preliminary Rounds)
• Best Memorial Overall
