Mohali 7 February 2026: Former Chief Justice of Uttrakhand High Court, Ms. Justice Ritu Bahri inaugurated the 18th edition of the National rounds of the AIL-Sarin National Round of the 17th Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition at the Army Institute of Law here today.

Former chief justice of Allahabad High Court, Justice S.S. Sodhi presided over the function, who is also the President of the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation, which organises the annual international moot court competition on aviation law.

Speaking on the occasion Justice Bahri lauded the efforts of the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation for supporting the young lawyers in getting the requisite experience in aviation law, and said that there is immense scope of working in this stream because of the newer opportunities coming up with imminent growth of the aviation industry.

Recalling her formative days in college, Justice Ritu Bahri said that despite her family's insistence on joining Home Science, she chose to be a lawyer and challenged herself to explore her potential and had she been not a lawyer her second preference was Army.
She reiterated the need for social and legal support for the families of defence personnel after they lose their lives since most families to have put up with immense struggle.
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 the AIL-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, from 17th to 19th April 2026.

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.

Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation was established in memory of late Shri H.L. Sarin, and Late Shri R.L. Sarin, which is managed by young lawyers and law students to spread legal literacy and take up causes of general public importance for legal redressal, besides training

young lawyers in air law through international moot court competition, he said.
Dr. Tejinder Kaur, Principal of the Army Institute of Law, commended the Sarin Foundation for giving the students an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of litigation by holding Moot Court competitions year after year.