UM makes debut at The Hague Inter-University Law Debate Tournament

For the first time, the University of Malta is being represented at the prestigious Hague Inter-University Law Debate Tournament, an international competition organised by the Corax Foundation in The Hague and running annually since 2015.

THIULDT brings together university law students from across the world to debate contemporary legal questions spanning both public and private international law, while fostering rigorous legal reasoning, intercultural exchange, and the practical application of legal knowledge.

The University of Malta’s inaugural team for the 2026 edition features Cara Borg Aquilina and Michael Gatt, under the guidance and mentorship of the Dean of the Faculty of Laws Prof. Ivan Mifsud, Dr Antoine Grima, and Prof. Omar Grech, with the wider support of the Faculty of Laws as a whole.

The tournament follows a structure designed to test both preparation and adaptability. It involves a research and preparation stage, in which teams study the announced themes in depth, and a presentation stage, in which participants are assigned either a for or against position only shortly before debating and must argue persuasively while responding to opposing submissions in real time under strict time limits.

In THIULDT’s format, the theme for each round is announced at the start of the competition, while the specific debate statement is released no later than seven days before the match, while the position is assigned only minutes before the debate begins. Debates are assessed by three independent judges and scored on a standardised point system, placing a premium on legal substance, structure, responsiveness, and effective rebuttal.

For Cara and Michael this formative experience has already proven to be positively intensive and highly rewarding. The competition strengthens legal argumentation, sharp issue-spotting, and high-pressure rebuttal skills, training participants to think quickly and communicate with clarity and persuasion. THIULDT challenges participants to apply theoretical legal knowledge in practice, pushes them beyond their comfort zone, and ultimately fosters sustained intellectual and professional growth.

The University of Malta has already secured a promising start in its debut campaign by winning its first round, with further rounds still to come.

We wish the team the best of luck in this competition!