The 26th edition of the Austral Legal Challenge brought together 55 teams in Pilar to discuss the Worldcoin versus Spanish Data Protection Agency case. After several hours of debate, five students from the Madre del Divino Pastor Institute emerged as the winners of the competition.
In its twenty-sixth edition, the Austral Legal Challenge, organized by the Faculty of Law of the Universidad AustralThe event brought together more than 220 students from 27 schools across the country. This year, the students debated the real-life conflict that arose in early March between the company Worldcoin and the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD). The issue stemmed from the issuance of an injunction suspending the collection of biometric data and prohibiting its use in exchange for cryptocurrencies.
The competition was held in two stages: a written stage and an oral stage. In both stages, each team assumed a specific role: as representatives of the Spanish Data Protection Agency or of the Worldcoin legal team in Spain. To participate, all students, along with their teachers, received training on fundamental legal issues, as well as oral expression and argumentation techniques for preparing a legal opinion and participating in the debates.
“We were very nervous; they asked us a very general question about the terms and conditions of the contract that we didn't know the answer to. It's a really great experience where everything is very well organized. It's good because it allows you to understand what a real trial is like and also how to speak well in public,” explained 16-year-old Laureano Girado, from Santa María School in Pilar, who participated in the in-person oral debate session held this Tuesday, June 11th. IAE Business School, of the Universidad Austral.
The in-person session began at 8:30 a.m. and concluded at 6:00 p.m. All teams participated in three oral debates, simulating a round of hearings before the Administrative Court of the Spanish Supreme Court. After a long and intense day of debates, hallway discussions, and strategy adjustments, the finalists were announced. With great anticipation, the final pitted Team 53 from Saint St. John's School, representing Worldcoin, against Team 26 from the Madre del Divino Pastor Institute, representing the Spanish Data Protection Agency. The grand final was held before a jury composed of law professors Fernando Toller, María Gattinoni, Miriam Ivanega, and Lucas Lehtinen, with the team captains casting the deciding vote in case of a tie.
After a close debate, and by a vote of three to one, Team 26, made up of students from the Madre del Divino Pastor Institute in Pilar, won. “The truth is, we really enjoyed the experience. When we arrived here, it was a bit difficult because we noticed that other teams were better prepared than we were. We are extremely happy with the prize because many of our classmates will benefit from the scholarship we won,” said Mercedes Rawson, a member of the winning team.
For his part, Fernando Toller, director of the Law program at the Universidad AustralHe stated: “We’ve had an extraordinary day. Schools from Salta, San Luis, Mendoza, Tucumán, and Buenos Aires participated. With this initiative, we aim to motivate students to learn about the world of law and stimulate their analytical and oral debate skills. It’s gratifying to see the effort of all these teams who debated from 8:30 in the morning before a jury of 60 people, including professors and students from our University.”
Watch the event recap video https://youtu.be/sXuJhP4GhsI
