From South Auckland to The Hague
AUT law students Tremayne Thompson and Jazz Chhatwal are officially world champions.
For the first time ever, a New Zealand team has taken out the top prize in The Hague Inter-University Law Debate, a prestigious competition that brings together law students from around the globe. The event gives competitors a global platform for debate, legal reasoning, advocacy, comparative law, and academic exchange.
Tremayne and Jazz started their journey to the finals back in March when, in between law studies, extra-curricular activities (including being President and Vice-President of the South Auckland Law Students’ Association), and various other competition moots, the pair spent countless hours competing against overseas universities on a range of topical debates.
The duo not only faced fierce competition from some of the world’s most notable law institutions, including Canada’s McGill University, they also faced the challenge of international time zones - often dialling in to compete in online debates in the wee hours of the morning.
Their path to the finals included beating reigning champions from the Università di Bologna by one point in the semifinals. No mean feat when you consider that Bologna’s law school is the oldest in the world.
Although most events were held virtually, the final round of the competition was held in person in The Hague, Netherlands. Thanks to concerted fundraising efforts and generous donations, the pair travelled there for the final - an illustrious event that took place in front of ambassadors, embassy representatives, and judges from legal, academic and diplomatic backgrounds.
The final round saw AUT Law School take on Bhutan’s Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law. After a fierce battle centred on whether foreign states should retain sovereign immunity, Tremayne and Jazz emerged victorious.
Judges noted the AUT team showed clarity, composure, legal precision, and an impressive ability to defend complex arguments under pressure.
Reflecting on their win, Tremayne (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupouri, Ngāti Hine, Te Whakatōhea) was quick to note that the real victory was “personal connection”.
“Winning the competition is something we’re immensely proud of, but what I’ll remember most is that it showed what can happen when two people genuinely trust and support one another. The trophy is the result, but the friendship is what made it possible.
“A lot of people focus on legal knowledge, advocacy skills, or strategy, and while those things are obviously important, I think our greatest strength was our friendship.”
Dean of AUT Law School, Ahorangi Professor Khylee Quince (Ngāpuhi, Te Roroa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungungu), explained why the win is so significant: “For context, most law degrees in Europe and North America are post graduate qualifications, and students who enter competitions are usually senior students in those programmes - meaning they have around five years of university study under their belts. Tremayne and Jazz have two semesters, and they have defeated some impressive law schools.
“This is also a big deal for our law school, and for our south campus cohort. We place a strong focus on legal skills in our programme, and this outcome speaks to that.”