A five-member team of students from the University of Mumbai Law Academy (UMLA) are all set to script history by representing India at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague, Netherlands in an International Moot Court competition from June 2 to June 9, becoming the first UMLA students to ever get this opportunity. Law students from almost 80 countries from across the world will participate and have real time courtroom arguments on two topics; International Criminal Law and Ecocides.   The competition is organised by Leiden University, a law university in the Netherlands, in association with the ICC.

The UMLA students have won various national level moot court competitions before being shortlisted and will leave for Netherlands on May 31. The team comprises Nathan Shinde, Vishnupriya Bhonsle, Nek Puri, Arya Gautam and Arushi Keniya, all between 21 and 28 years of age, who are pursuing the five-year BBA-LLB course. Their coach, Dr Rajeshri N Varhadi, Incharge Director (UMLA) and Professor at the Department of Law, Mumbai University is likely to travel with them “I am still waiting for my visa, which I am hopeful of getting by early next week. It is a proud moment for the Mumbai University, as this is the first time ever in the last six decades of our Law department and UMLA that our students have made it to an international competition. I am confident our students are putting in their best efforts to be par excellence with the international brains, who will compete at an international diaspora in the presence of the who’s who from the legal fraternity. All this would not have happened without the free hand, support and guidance from our acting Vice Chancellor Dr DT Shirke; Ajay Bhamre, Incharge, Pro vice Chancellor and Justice Ramesh Dhanuka, who will be sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Bombay High Court on Sunday,” said Dr Varhadi.