About the Organisers
WBNUJS (est. 1999) is a premier national law university recognised under UGC Sections 2(f) & 12(b), with BA LL.B./B.Sc. LL.B. programmes affiliated to the Bar Council of India. The Hon’ble Chief Justice of India serves as the Chancellor and chairs NUJS’s General Council. NUJS ranked 4th in NIRF 2024 (Law), received NAAC A+ (2025) in its first assessment cycle, and has been consistently ranked among India’s top law schools by Outlook India, Mint, and LexisNexis Halsbury’s Law Monthly, besides winning the SILF—MILAT Institutional Excellence Award (2015).
About the Competition
Where the Pen Meets the Gavel. The 1st NUJS Judgment Writing Competition invites participants to think and write like constitutional court judges in a structured simulation of judicial decision-making. The competition opens with an online preliminary round (single-issue problems, pre-screened by a Board of Editors) and culminates in three intensive offline days at the NUJS campus where shortlisted participants sit as a bench on a novel, multi-issue case. Finalists will hear in-person submissions from arguing counsel, deliberate with peers to ensure coherent bench opinions, and deliver reasoned judgments, gaining practical insight into the pressures and ethics of constitutional adjudication.
Theme
Crowdsourced Constitutionalism in a fictional country, Kurlustan, recently independent and facing layered constitutional, social, and political crises. The theme invites engagement with:
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Foundational jurisprudence, judicial philosophy, and constitutionalism
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Executive overreach, civil rights, judicial propriety, and moral reasoning
Objectives
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Bridge theory and practice across constitutional law, legal reasoning, and judicial temperament
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Move beyond legal formalism toward constitutional vision, ethics, and social balance
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Simulate real-world judicial pressures (political/social tensions, time constraints, ethical dilemmas)
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Develop collaboration and coherent opinion-writing; foster long-term scholarship via a published collection of the best judgments and analyses
Format & Rounds
The Competition shall proceed in two phases:
Phase 1 – Online Preliminary Rounds:
Participants submit a judgment on one of several single-issue problems (to be drafted by the Board of Editors). Submissions are evaluated for core legal writing and research skills.
Problems link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TAB3x6ObQ12sQW_CNBfuYKjhAYBhPxCBCgcA0KUI9gA/edit
Phase 2 — Offline Final Rounds (NUJS Campus | 9th — 11th January, 2026):
~30—40 contestants will be shortlisted to act as justices of Kurlustan’s highest constitutional court and resolve a web of interconnected issues.
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Day 1: Hear detailed oral arguments from assigned arguers representing each side; receive written memorials; submit a Bench Brief (strategy note).
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Days 2 & 3: Convert briefs into full, reasoned judgments; access NUJS research facilities; join twice-daily deliberation sessions in rotating groups to test and refine approaches. The event closes with a Valedictory Juridical Conclave on judicial ethics and the role of constitutional courts.
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Evaluation: After preliminary checks (word count, plagiarism), submissions are forwarded to a panel of legal academics and justices, who conduct the final scoring. Marquee awards include: Chief Justice’s Award (Best Overall Judgment), Best Written Award, and Best Dissent Award. Marquee awards, along with certificates/mementoes for other winners, will be conferred during the book launch ceremony.
Important Dates
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Registration opens: 21 October 2025
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Registration deadline: 18 November 2025
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Prelim submission date: 25 November 2025
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Offline final rounds: 9—11 January 2026 (NUJS, Kolkata)
Eligibility & Team Composition
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Teams of 2, both from the same law college
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Choose one problem (of the three) for the preliminary submission
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Submit the judgment only via the prescribed form (see “Submission & Links” below)
Formatting Guidelines (Prelim Submission)
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Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1.5 spacing, justified
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Bold sub-headings
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No identifying information (name, institution, etc.) in the body
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File format: .docx; Title: “Team Name Problem 1/2/3_Judgment”
Submission Guidance: The competition tests fundamental legal theory and jurisprudence. Extra marks are not awarded for case-citation volume; over-reliance may be penalised.
Registration & Process
How to Register (SBI Collect):
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Access: https://www.onlinesbi.sbi/sbicollect/icollecthome.htm
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Type of Category: Educational Institutions
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Institution Name: The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences
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Payment Category: NUJS Judgement Writing Competition
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Registration Fees: Rs. 500 + 18% GST (Rs. 590, pre-filled)
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Avoid special characters; keep the SBI Collect Reference Number and download the receipt for upload in the registration form.
Links:
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Registration Form: https://forms.gle/wkuXXoGt2ZJuwJC86
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Submission Form (Preliminary Round Judgments): https://forms.gle/7ooCVL8Gj3Tp4rKi9
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Preliminary Round Problems: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TAB3x6ObQ12sQW_CNBfuYKjhAYBhPxCBCgcA0KUI9gA/edit
Awards & Recognition
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Best Judgment in each prelim problem — Certificate of Appreciation;
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Best Strategy Memo and Best Deliberations (Final Round) — Awarded during the Valedictory Ceremony;
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Cash prizes for the three Marquee Awards (Chief Justice’s Award, Best Written, Best Dissent). Other winners receive certificates & mementoes. All winners receive a complimentary copy of the book and an invitation to the book-launch ceremony
Contact Information
Core Members
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Swaprabha Chattopadhyay — +91 94345 73326
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Atri Chattopadhyay — +91 88496 80035
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Budhaditya Ghosh — +91 82408 82077
Outreach (Directors)
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Ishita Bhuin — +91 78119 23315
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Archisman Sarkar — +91 75010 04114
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Trisha Dutta — +91 84205 17944
For more information, please refer to the event brochure here.