Chief Justice Anwar Usman with Secretary General M. Guntur Hamzah presenting trophy to Diponegoro University (UNDIP) as national champion in the 2018 Indonesia National Varsity Constitutional Debating Championship, Wednesday (9/5) at the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center, Cisarua, Bogor. Photo by Humas MK/Wenky.

Diponegoro University (UNDIP) won the 2018 Indonesia National Varsity Constitutional Debating Championship held by the Constitutional Court. The team defeated the Jakarta Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University (UIN) in the final with the motion “CSO Dissolution According to Law No. 16 of 2017,” Wednesday evening (9/5).

Malang Muhammadiyah University (UMM) placed third after defeating Tarumanagara University  (UNTAR) with the motion “Inquiry Right of the House on KPK.” Best speaker was UNTAR’s Luisa Srihandayani.

Head jury Constitutional Law Professor Yuliandri announced the winners. Also adjudicating at the event were 2013-2015 Constitutional Chief Justice Hamdan Zoelva, Constitutional Justice Maria Farida Indrati, Surabaya University law lecturer Hesti Armiwulan, Mataram University Law Professor Galang Asmara, and Administrative Law Professor of Sebelas Maret University of Surakarta I Gusti Ayu Ketut Rachmi Handayani.

Rational Debate 

Opening the championship, Chief Justice Anwar Usman stressed that the winners of the event would be the best of the best. He admired that the finalists were debating politely and rationally, not unlike in the Constitutional Court hearing.

Secretary General M. Guntur Hamzah reported on the 11^th debating championship. Out of 161 teans in the preliminary round, 24 went to the regional round, which took place at Maranatha University Bandung (west), Semarang State University (central), and Malang Muhammadiyah University (east). Only 8 teams progressed to the national championship. The finalists, UNDIP and UIN Jakarta, defeated 22 other teams.

Guntur said that the event was aimed at socializing the Constitutional Court and its decisions, improve the students’ skills in debating and in comprehending constitutional texts, and to grow a culture of speaking out. He hoped that the students participating in the event learn lessons to prepare for the future of constitutionalism. (Bayu Wicaksono/LA/Yuniar Widiastuti)