The 16th Checkmate 2026 will be held from October 15–17, 2026, at Army Institute of Law, Mohali.
About Army Institute of Law, Mohali
Army Institute of Law, Mohali was established in July 1999 under the aegis of the Army Welfare Education Society. The institute was inaugurated by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on December 1, 2003, and promotes legal research, practical learning, analytical ability, ethical values and discipline.
The institute has conducted 15 editions of the Checkmate AIL National Moot Court Competition, providing law students with opportunities to develop legal research and advocacy skills.
About the Opportunity
The Army Institute of Law, Mohali is organising the 16th edition of the Checkmate AIL National Moot Court Competition 2026. The competition will provide participating law students with an opportunity to engage in legal research, memorial drafting and oral advocacy.
Each team may comprise either two Speakers or two Speakers and one Researcher. A maximum of 32 teams will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Following the Memorial Round, the top 16 teams will qualify for the Oral Rounds.
Duration
The competition will be conducted from October 15 to October 17, 2026.
Mode
The competition will be conducted in offline mode.
Location
The competition will be held at Army Institute of Law, Mohali, Punjab.
Deadline
The deadline for provisional registration is September 10, 2026.
The deadline for final registration and payment of the Memorial Round fee is September 14, 2026.
The deadline for submission of soft copies of memorials is September 23, 2026.
Fee
The Memorial Round registration fee is ₹2,000 per team.
Teams qualifying for the Oral Rounds will have to pay an additional fee of ₹5,000, exclusive of accommodation.
Eligibility Criteria
- The competition is open to bona fide students pursuing a 3-year LL.B. course.
- Students pursuing a 5-year integrated law course are also eligible.
- Each participating team may comprise either two Speakers or two Speakers and one Researcher.
Roles & Responsibilities
Legal Research
Participants will undertake legal research relating to the moot proposition and use their research to prepare their respective memorials.
Memorial Drafting
Teams will prepare and submit memorials for the Memorial Round. The top 16 teams will qualify for the Oral Rounds based on the Memorial Round.
Oral Advocacy
Shortlisted teams will participate in the Octa-Final, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final Rounds and present oral arguments before the judging panel.
Prizes
The competition carries a total prize pool of ₹1,32,000.
- Winners: ₹45,000 + Certificate
- Runners-Up: ₹36,000 + Certificate
- Third Semi-Finalists: ₹9,000 + Certificate
- Fourth Semi-Finalists: ₹6,000 + Certificate
- Best Memorial: ₹18,000 + Certificate
- Best Speaker: ₹10,000 + Certificate
- 2nd Best Speaker: ₹8,000 + Certificate
All participants will receive certificates of participation.
Important Dates
- August 22, 2026 — Release of Proposition
- September 10, 2026 — Deadline for Provisional Registration
- September 14, 2026 — Deadline for Final Registration and Memorial Round Fee
- September 14, 2026 — Deadline for Seeking Clarifications
- September 16, 2026 — Release of Clarifications
- September 23, 2026 — Deadline for Submission of Soft Copies of Memorials
- September 29, 2026 — Declaration of Memorial Round Results
- October 5, 2026 — Deadline for Payment of Oral Round Fee
- October 15, 2026 — Reporting and Registration at the AIL Campus
- October 16, 2026 — Octa-Final, Quarter-Final and Semi-Final Rounds
- October 17, 2026 — Final Round
Contact
Email: kulpreet.bhullar@ail.ac.in
Email: anmolpreet.kaur@ail.ac.in
Email: shivanshi.thakur@ail.ac.in
Phone: +91 9110056136
Phone: +91 9501074071
ALSO READ: Moot Court Competition at University of Delhi
Application Procedure
Interested candidates may apply through the following:
Provisional registration must be completed by sending an email to ail.checkmate2026@gmail.com.
The scanned copy of the payment receipt along with the duly filled registration form must be sent by email to ail.checkmate2026@gmail.com. The email should include the following payment details:
- College Name
- Transaction ID
- Bank Name
- Date of Payment
The deadline for provisional registration is September 10, 2026. The deadline for final registration and Memorial Round fee payment is September 14, 2026.
The deadline for payment of the Oral Round fee for qualifying teams is October 5, 2026, by 3:00 PM.
Accommodation-related information will be provided by the organisers, while teams will have to make their own arrangements for stay and transportation during the competition.
