SALATIGA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Sebelas Maret University (UNS) won the 12^th Indonesian University Student Constitutional Debate Competition for Central Regions organized by the Constitutional Court. UNS team won the title after beating out Mulawarman University in the final on the motion “Legal standing of Foreign Nationals in the Judicial Review of Laws” on Wednesday (10/4/2019) at Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW), Salatiga.

Tarumanegara University (Untar) won 3^rd place after beating out Gadjah Mada University (UGM) on the motion “Mining Permit from Provincial Government.” Elizabeth Silalahi from UNS was made Best Speaker.

The winners were announced by Constitutional Law Professor of Andalas University Yuliandri as chairman of the jury. Honorary members of the jury were 2001–2008 Supreme Justice Bagir Manan. The jury includes Bengkulu University Agrarian Law Professor Herawan Sauni, North Sumatera law lecturer Mirza Nasution, Airlangga University constitutional law lecturer Radian Salman, Hasanuddin University law lecturer Oky D. Burhamzah, Brawijaya University law lecturer Dhia Al Uyun, University  of Indonesia Law Professor Winarno Yudho, law faculty dean of all-Indonesia state universities Farida Patittingi, Padjadjaran University Law Professor Susi Dwi Harijanti, Director of Center for Pancasila and Constitution Review (Puskapsi) of Jember University Law Faculty Bayu Dwi Anggono, and Andalas University’s Director of Center for Constitutional Studies Feri Amsari.

Yuliandri expressed his appreciation of the quality and skills of the participants. “[I’m proud of] this competition. The debates were extraordinary. All is because the participants who entered this level are truly extraordinary. Their debates are also very interesting,” he said.

In addition, at the closing ceremony, Head of the Legal Studies Masters Program Tri Budiyono, emphasized participants of the 2019 University Student Constitutional Debate Competition for Central Regions were the best of the best. All the teams that got to the finals were the best teams. "All the debating participants, including the two finalists, were very good. I was amazed, they debated very politely," he said.

Elizabeth Silalahi of the winning team from UNS expressed her happiness and her team’s determination to advance to the national level.

The university student constitutional debate competition is to help the Constitutional Court in socializing the Constitutional Court and its decisions. It also serves to improve the abilities of students to argue about and explore constitutional texts. In addition, the annual event serves to foster a culture of positive expression. (Bayu/LA/Yuniar Widiastuti)