Former Chief Justice of Uttrakhand High Court, Justice Ritu Bahri, inaugurating the18th edition of the AIL-Sarin National Round of the 17th Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition at the Army Institute of Law (AIL), said that demand for air law experts is growing within the fast growing aviation industry and offers immense scope for young lawyers.
She was addressing young lawyers from 20 leading law universities of the country competing in the AIL-Sarin National Round of the Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition 2026, organised every year by the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation, in collaboration with Netherlands based Leiden University.
Justice Bahri also shared her personal story, recalling her formative days in college when she chose to pursue law despite her family’s insistence on Home Science. “Had I not been a lawyer, my second preference would have been the Army,” she added.
Highlighting the challenges faced by families of defence personnel, Justice Bahri emphasized the need for social and legal support after they lose their lives. “Most families have to put up with immense struggle,” she said.
Senior advocate and former advocate general of Punjab, and secretary general of the Foundation, M.L. Sarin, announced that out of twenty participating teams National Law University, New Delhi, and the West Bengal National University of Judicial Sciences, Kolkata, were declared winners of theAIL-Sarin National Round of the 17th Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition 2026 and selected for the finals to be held in Namibia, in April this year.
Former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Justice S.S. Sodhi, President of the Foundation, presided over the function.
The Sarin Foundation also conferred the annual Best Mooter of the Year Award, comprising Rs. 50,000 in prize money and a trophy, which was shared by two students of the Army Institute of Law, Ms. Palak Shukla and Ms. Poorva Dhanashri Biswal.
Dr. Tejinder Kaur, Principal of the Army Institute of Law, commended the Sarin Foundation for providing students with opportunities to learn the fundamentals of litigation through Moot Court competitions.
