9th Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition, 2012

The dates for the 9^th Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition are 11^th-13^th October, 2012.

The Case Study along with the Official Rules of the Competition will be released shortly. Please check our website www.mcaglc.org for updates.

8th Nani Palkhivala Memorial Research Paper Competition, 2012.

The All India Federation of Tax Practitioners (AIFTP) and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Bar Association in association with the Government Law College, Mumbai is conducting 8^th Nani Palkhivala Memorial Research Paper Competition, 2012.

The topic for this year’s Research Paper is:

"General Anti - Avoidance Rule (GAAR) - An Indian and International     Perspective”

The students may have to discuss the following issues:

1.    Analyse the Indian provisions (S. 95 to 102 and Rules);

2.    Comparing with other countries;

3.    Merits and demerits;

4.    Whether the provisions will achieve the desired objects;

5.    If we need the GAAR;

6.    Suggestions and any other issues which the author may discuss and express his     

       view.                                  

Each participating college can send a maximum of three entries.

Each article can be authored by a maximum of two authors.

Prizes

The three best articles will be awarded cash prizes, along with a certificate of merit and a medal. The winning research paper will be published in the AIFTP Journal, IBFD Journal, on the ITAT website and in other leading tax magazines.

The cash prize awarded shall be as follows:

First prize: Rs. 10,000/-

Second prize: Rs. 7,500/-

Third prize: Rs. 5,000/-

The entries must reach Government Law College, Mumbai on or before 10^th September, 2012 by 5:00 p.m. IST. Kindly confirm your participation by emailing a scanned copy of the Registration Form on or before 1^st September, 2012 to nanipalkhivalaresearch@gmail.com

For more details, please follow the link: http://www.mcaglc.org/pdf/Research%20Paper%20Rules_2012.pdf

Finals of the 13th D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition, 2012

The final round of the 13th D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition, 2012 was held at Convocation hall, Mumbai University on 12th February, 2012 after four days of vigorous competition among 28 national and international teams. The two teams, Bond University , Australia and University of Southampton, UK that qualified for the finals were judged by a bench of five sitting judges of the Bombay High Court- Honourable Dr. Mr. Jusitce D.Y. Chandrachud, Honourable Mr. Justice A .A. Godbole,  Honourable Mr. Justice M. S. Sanklecha and Honourable Mr. Justice R. D. Dhanuka. The two teams argued on topics of taxation relying on international law. “I don't wish to bore you by overstressing any point.", a speaker was heard to say. In fact, quite the contrary happened. The event was an interesting exchange of great research and intelligent arguments. The event was concluded by an eloquent valedictory speech by Justice Chandrachud who called it a Sunday evening well worth it's time. The winning team was Bond University, Australia .    The Awards were as follows:

 Best Researcher- Mr. Ankit Namdeo, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University,   Lucknow.
2^nd Best Researcher – Ms. Apoorva Yadav, NALSAR University, Hyderabad.
 Best Memorial- Government Law College, Mumbai.
2^nd Best Memorial – National Law University, Delhi .      
 Best Speaker- Ms. Jyoti Maheshwari, National Law School of India University,  Bangalore.                                          
 2nd Best Speaker: Mr. Zac Rowe, University of Southampton, UK.

13th D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition, 2012

The Moot Court Association of Government Law College and the D. M. Harish Foundation,are pleased to announce the 13^th D. M. Harish Memorial – Government Law College International Moot Court Competition in association with Life Corporation of India to be held from 9^th – 12^th February, 2012.

Government Law College, Mumbai

The Government Law College, established in 1855 is one of the oldest law colleges in Asia, a pioneer in legal education - an institution par excellence. The generations of legal luminaries who have been nurtured by this unique institution have made a seminal contribution to the evolution of the Indian Legal System. Former Hon'ble Chief Justices of India – Mr. M. H. Kania, Mr. P. N. Bhagwati, Mr. S. P. Bharucha, and the present Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Kapadia all began their careers at GLC. Mr. Soli Sorabjee, Mr. Fali Nariman, Mr. Anil Divan, Mr. T. R. Andhyarujina and Mr. Goolam Vahanvati have all been students of this very institution. The contribution of Government Law College’s alumni to the jurisprudential and constitutional growth of India is certainly unparalleled.

The Moot Court Association

The Moot Court Association (MCA) of Government Law College was established in 1955 by the then Hon'ble Minister of Education, Mr. Dinkar R. Desai. The primary objective of the MCA is to provide the students of GLC with a platform to gain exposure to the practical aspects of the legal profession.Students present and argue a fictitious case before a bench of knowledgeable judges, to create a simulated courtroom. Moot court competitions hone the oratory, drafting and research skills of young aspiring lawyers, enhance their knowledge and build confidence and character. Mooting has now evolved and emerged as an integral part of the curriculum of leading institutes imparting legal education, all over the world

Mr. D.M. Harish

The Late Mr. D. M. Harish was a distinguished Advocate and a renowned authority on Income Tax Law in India. Mr. D. M. Harish had an outstanding academic career. He founded the well known firm “D. M. Harish & Co” which specializes in taxation, property law and corporate law. The cause of education was always very dear to him and so as a tribute to his memory; the D. M. Harish Foundation sponsors the ‘D. M. Harish Memorial-Government Law College International Moot Court Competition’ in collaboration with the Moot Court Association of Government Law College- Mr. D. M. Harish’s alma mater.

D.M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition, 2012

Government Law College has been hosting India’s First Ever and most prestigious International Moot Court Competition, in association with the D. M. Harish Foundation for over a decade now. In the year 2000, the Moot Court Association in collaboration with the D. M. Harish Foundation ordained the D. M. Harish Memorial Moot Court Competition, at a national level. The year 2004 saw Government Law College enter its 150^th grand year and the MCA its 50^th year, the way forward to expand the competition’s horizons was devised by developing it into India’s first international moot, which meant replicating the national success of the moot at the International Level. The MCA works round the year to make the D. M. Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition or DMH, as we fondly refer to it in GLC, a reality.

The case study of the competition deals primarily with complex contemporary issues relating to Public International Law before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The 2012 Compromis deals primarily with issues relating to Public International Law and International Taxation. The problem revolves around the OECD model and the much talked about issue of tax havens and disclosures. The Final Round of Arguments will be judged by a bench of five sitting judges of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court.

Participating Universities

The participation of Law Institutes from the United Kingdom, United States of America, Sri Lanka, Nepal Bangladesh, Mauritius, Spain, Greece, Russia, Malaysia, Ireland, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Singapore, Jamaica, Australia & Pakistan hold witness to the truly global flavour of DMH. This year we additionally look forward to participation from prestigious Universities such as the New York University & Valparaiso University from USA, Bond University from Australia, Moscow State Law Academy from Russia, University of Sussex and Southampton University from UK, National University of Singapore from Singapore, L'ecole For Advanced Studies, from Pakistan amongst other international teams, apart from the cream of Indian law universities that will attend this competition.

The Panel Discussion

One of the highlights of DMH is the Panel Discussion, which is an integral part of the competition schedule. The distinguished panelists such as Ms. Smriti Irani, Ms. Pooja Bedi, Mr. Arun Jaitley, Ms. Teesta Setalvad, Mr. Bal Apte, Mr. Darius Khambatta, Dr. Anirdha Malpani, Mr. Mahesh Jethmalani, Mr. Navroz Seervai have all graced the discussion in the past. This year’s panelists include Former Chief Justice B.N. Srikrishna  and Tax baron Mr. Nishith Desai. The Panel Discussion is to be held at the magnificent, Sahyadri State Guest House. The subject-matter for the Panel Discussion will revolve around the hotly debated topic of tax havens, the applicability of double taxation avoidance agreements (DTAAs) and the imposition of the voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) in relation to India.

Judges

Every year, Judges of the Bombay High Court, eminent advocates & lawyers, senior professors of law, partners and associates from elite law firms, form the highly illustrious pool of jurists for the preliminary, octo, quarter & semi-final rounds of the competition.

The teams most determined to endeavour finally embrace the Final Round of Arguments, held at the magnificent Mumbai University Convocation Hall. The Finalist teams get once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to argue before a formidable bench of five sitting Judges of the Bombay High Court.  Justice F. I. Rebello, Chief Justice Allahabad High Court, Justice B. N. Srikrishna, Former Judge Supreme Court and Justice A. P. Shah, Former Chief Justice Delhi High Court, Justice D. Y. Chandrachud have all graced us with their august presence in the past.

DMH truly epitomises commitment, objectivity, hospitality and recognition of merit par excellence. The quality, competitiveness and versatility of the participants, the experience and expertise of the judges and the hospitality & warmth extended by the organizers truly symbolize the ‘DMH Experience’. The consecutive success of DMH only continues to pave its way towards being recognized as Asia’s largest and most prestigious International Moot Court Competition.

M.C. Chagla Memorial Government Law College National Moot Court Competition, 2012

The Government Law College, Mumbai in association with the Chief Justice M. C. Chagla Memorial Trust hosted the 18^th M. C. Chagla Memorial Government Law College National Moot Court Competition on 14^nd & 15^rd January, 2012.

The Competition which went National this year witnessed participation from 15 of the best law schools/universities in the country with ILS Law College, Pune emerging as the winner and the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala coming a close second. The award for the Best Memorial went to National Law University, Delhi whereas the award for the Best Speaker and the 2^nd Best Speaker went to the the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata and ILS Law College, Pune respectively.

The Competition, based on Constitutional Law, had a unique format with teams arguing on two Moot Propositions through the Preliminary, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final Round of Arguments. Teams had the opportunity to argue before eminent law practitioners, partners of law firms and senior counsels of the Bombay High Court, the likes of which included, Mr. Darius J. Khambatta, Additional Solicitor General of India, Mr. S. U. Kamdar, Mr. Milind Sathe, Mr. Pravin Samdani, Mr. Pradeep Sancheti, Mr. Satish Maneshinde, Mr. Denzel Arambhan amongst others. The Final Round of Arguments were presided over by Hon’ble Mr. Justice J. H. Bhatia and Hon’ble Mr. Jutice R. C. Chavan, Judges of the Bombay High Court.

18th M. C. Chagla Memorial Government Law College National Moot Court Competition, 2012

The Government Law College, Mumbai in association with the Chief Justice M. C. Chagla Memorial Trust is pleased to announce the 18th M. C. Chagla Memorial Government Law College National Moot Court Competition scheduled to be held on 14^th & 15^th January, 2012.

The Moot Court Association of Government Law College has been hosting the M. C. Chagla Memorial Moot Court Competition for several years. The Competition, instituted in memory of Late Mr. M. C. Chagla, began initially as a city-level moot court competition, which was later expanded to a state-level competition. Due to the overwhelming response that the Competition has been generating across Maharashtra, the 18th edition of the Competition has been made National and will witness 14 of the Best Law Schools in the country compete to win the coveted trophy.

The Moot Court Competition is based purely on Constitutional Law and will require teams to argue on 2 sets of problems across the Preliminary, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final Round of Arguments. The rounds of the competition will judged by eminent professors and practicing lawyers of the Bombay High Court with the Final Rounds being judged by sitting judges of the Bombay High Court.

Dates of the competition: 14^th and 15^th January, 2012

Last date of registration: 21^st November, 2011

Last Date of Memorial Submission: 2^nd January, 2012

The Moot Proposition and Rules are available on ww.mcaglc.org.

All queries can be emailed to mca@glcmumbai.com

8th NANI PALKHIVALA MEMORIAL NATIONAL TAX MOOT COURT COMPETITION 2011

The Moot Court Association of Government Law College in association with the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Bar Association and the All India Federation of Tax Practitioners (AIFTP) held the 8th Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition from  13^th - 15^th October, 2011. The 8th edition of the Competition was dedicated to the 150^th Anniversary of the Bombay High Court and witnessed the top 26 Law Schools across the country battle it out for the top.

 
Shri Nani Palkhivala was born in 1920 in Bombay and studied at the Government Law College. He was called to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Bar Association in 1944 and was a pioneer in the field of taxation. Shri Nani Palkhivala took over as President of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Bar Association in 1967. He also served as a professor of Taxation and Constitutional Law at the Government Law College, Mumbai. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) is the second level appellate body looking into the litigation and disputes in tax matters arising from the assessments finalized by the departmental officers who are adjudicated first by the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), being the first level appellate authority. The All India Federation of Tax Practitioners (AIFTP) is a common platform for all those who practice taxation laws, irrespective of their individual affiliations, and it aspires to be a pan-India body of tax practitioners.

The 2011 edition of the Moot Court Competition saw students from 26 prestigious law colleges from all over the country compete in the 3-day event. The Inaugural Ceremony was held on 13th October, 2011 at the Government Law College, in the presence of Hon’ble Mr. R.V. Easwar, President, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and Mr. Manmohan Vice President, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal who released the souvenir of the 8^th edition of the competition. The Preliminary, Quarter-Final and Semi-Final Rounds of Arguments were held in the courtrooms of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal itself and were judged by Hon'ble Members of the Tribunal and eminent tax professionals like Mr. Porus Kaka, Mr. Vispi Patel, Mr. Atul Jasani, Mr. Pradeep Parikh, Mr. Pradip Kapasi, Mr. Keshav Bhujle, Mr. Hiro Rai amongst others. The Quarter-Final and Semi-Final Rounds as well as the customary trust visit to Nishith Desai Associates’ Nariman Point office was organized in the morning of 15^th October The Final Rounds of the competition were held in the 15th evening 2011 at the Y. B. Chavan Auditorium, Nariman Point which was presided over Hon'ble Mr. Justice Mohit S. Shah, Chief Justice, Bombay High Court, Hon'ble Dr. Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, Judge, Bombay High Court and Hon'ble Mr. Justice R. M. Savant, Judge, Bombay High Court. Addresses were delivered by the three Hon'ble Judges, Dr. K. Shivaram, President, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Bar Association, Mr. M. L. Patodi, National President, All India Federation of Tax Practitioners and Mr. R. B. Malik, Principal, Government Law College, Mumbai.

The winner of the 8^th successful edition of this elite competition was National Law School India University, Bangalore and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow came in a close second.

The Best Speaker and the 2nd Best Speaker were awarded to Mr. Karandeep Makkar and Ms. Divya Soni both from the Hiduayatullah National Law University, Raipur. The Best Memorial award went to the team from Symbiosis Law School, Pune. Mr. Dev D. Patel from Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar bagged the Best Researcher award.

In addition to the Moot Court Competition, the Moot Court Association of Government Law College also organized the 7^th Nani Palkhivala Memorial Research Paper Competition on the topic – “Piercing the Corporate Veil in Taxation matters” (Indian & International Transactions with special reference to Direct Taxes Code). The first position was awarded to Vipul Agrawal and Adhitya Srinivasan from National Law Institute University, Bhopal who were awarded a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 while the second position was awarded to Nirali Sanghvi and Arunima from Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar who received a cash prize of Rs, 7,500 and the third position was secured by Aayush Agarwal and Aditya Narair Mathur from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, Delhi who were rewarded with a cash prize of Rs. 5,000. Along with the cash prizes and the medals for the best articles, the winning article was published in the Souvenir of the 8^th Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition, 2011 & the AIFTP Journal, the IBFD Journal, the ITAT website and other leading tax magazines.