Three final-year law students from The University of the South Pacific (USP) School of Law are set to represent the University in the much-anticipated 2025 Inter-Tertiary Moot Court Competition against the Fiji National University (FNU).
The annual competition is a highlight of Fiji’s legal education calendar, testing students’ abilities in legal research, drafting and courtroom advocacy before sitting judges.
This year’s USP team brings together three outstanding students, each with a unique journey and a shared passion for the law.
Fourth-year law student Soane Kualepeli Tupola, from the Kingdom of Tonga, has a keen interest in criminal and international law and describes representing USP as a great honour and privilege.
“Representing our University is not just about competition,” he said. “It’s about showing strength, talent and especially diversity. We also look forward to learning from our colleagues in other universities and gaining invaluable experience. Preparing for the Moot has been both challenging and rewarding, sharpening our discipline, teamwork and persuasive advocacy.”
“The more you do it, the better you get. The better you get, the more you want to do it,” Tupola said.
Fololeni Loloma, from Nukunuku Tongatapu, Tonga is in her final year with a strong interest in criminal, health and international law. She sees the competition as a platform to test her knowledge and represent the University in applying theory into practical learning.
“The most memorable part has been finding common ground through many arguments, brainstorming interpretations, conducting our own trial sessions and critiquing our performance. These moments fostered our teamwork and pushed us beyond our comfort zones, because growth starts outside the comfort zone,” Loloma said.
Known as ‘Ngu’, Ope’anga Hoto Ngu Paunga also hails from Ma’ufanga, Tonga. He joined USP in 2022 shortly after the country’s volcanic eruption. Now in his final year, and is drawn to environmental, property and international law, areas he believes will be critical for Tonga’s future.
He shares a unique backstory of how the trio first met as debating rivals in Tonga, Soane and Fololeni representing Tonga High School and Paunga representing Tonga College ‘Atele.
“We had no clue we’d ever form a team in the near future, even representing USP Law School for an inter-tertiary moot comp in Fiji,” Paunga said.
The USP team is coached by Navneel Sharma, Shivendra Nath, and Law Students Association who are guiding them through intensive preparations.
The Moot Court competition provides a platform to showcase USP’s tradition of excellence in legal education while nurturing the next generation of Pacific legal professionals.
As the 2025 Inter-Tertiary Moot Court preliminary round takes place today and the finals on 26 September, the USP team is ready to demonstrate not only their legal knowledge and advocacy skills, but also the diversity and resilience that define the USP School of Law community.
