The National Law University Odisha Bose & Mitra Co. International Maritime Arbitration Moot, held annually at the National Law University in the ancient trading city of Cuttack in Odisha state, is one of the premier events in the Indian commercial law calendar.
Now in its tenth iteration, it is generously sponsored and guided by Bose & Mitra & Co of Mumbai, the leading maritime law firm in India (and one of the oldest), and the first choice of top UK law firms and P&I clubs needing fast, expert and specialised advice on all aspects of Indian maritime law.
For the last three years, Swansea Law School’s Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL) has been proud to be involved in the Moot as its Strategic Partner. The IISTL used its academic expertise in arranging the topic, setting the moot problem, and providing assistance in judging.
Traditionally, the competition has involved a realistic arbitration on some important matter of commercial, carriage or trade law. This year was no exception, involving the exploration of detailed issues of arbitration law and the law of CIF contracts.
As before, the Institute, in the shape of Professors Simon Baughen, George Leloudas and Andrew Tettenborn, was closely involved in setting and judging the problem. Professor Tettenborn was enormously honoured to be invited to help judge the final of the event personally in Odisha state, sitting on the bench with distinguished lawyers including a leading advocate from the Bombay High Court, a Justice of the High Court of Odisha and Bose & Mitra managing Partner Amitava Majumdar.
The IISTL is very proud of its continuing association with this event. It is one of the primary objectives of the Institute to contribute to the development of the new generation of maritime lawyers both at national and global levels.
We congratulate Dr Ram Lohia National Law University of Lucknow for having fielded the winning team, and also ILS Law College in Pune for being a close runner-up. Our gratitude must also go to the National Law University, and its Vice-Chancellor Professor Ved Kumari and Registrar Prof Dr Rangin Tripathi, for their continuing support, and their warm welcome to Professor Tettenborn. Nor can we fail to mention the untiring efforts of the student organisers who made sure everything ran like clockwork.