The Kalisher Essay Competition – Deadline to apply 28.02.25

The Kalisher Essay Competition carries a prize of £2,000 for the winner and £500 for the runner up. The competition is open to everyone in a pupillage specialising in criminal law.

The question, to be marked anonymously by the Trustees and Patrons of the Trust, is:

“The backlog of Crown Court cases serves no one. You are advising the Government as to what measures would alleviate if not remove the problem once and for all. You are to assume this to be achieved within current funding constraints. Is jury trial to be abolished in a particular class of case/s? If so, would that require justices to be given greater sentencing powers? Importantly you must advise whether any reforms would likely lead to challenge on human rights grounds. Would removing legal aid to bring a challenge be an option or might that result in a challenge on its own right? You should identify any other proposals and advise whether they would survive judicial scrutiny.”

We invite submissions of up to 2,000 words. The prize will be awarded in April 2025. Please could entrants send their essays to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 28th February 2025, ensuring that their entry is sent as a pdf, with their name and their Chambers’ name or Bar Course Provider’s name included in the document.

As in previous competitions, any entering candidates who are currently in pupillage must be sponsored by their Chambers in the sum of £100 per entry. This money will go towards the work of the Kalisher Trust in transforming the lives of bright young people through the development of advocacy skills.

Our two main aims are helping talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve their potential through advocacy, and helping those with the requisite ability and ambition to develop careers as barristers at the criminal Bar. At a time of considerable pressure on the criminal Bar – not least for those in the earliest stages of their careers – we know we need to do even more to support, encourage and inspire the next generation of criminal barristers. If you have questions in relation to any of the above please contact James Gwatkin, one the Kalisher Trust’s secretaries at [email protected]

More details may be found on Kalisher’s website https://www.thekalishertrust.org/2025/01/13/kalisher-essay-competition-2025