Invitation to enter the Ismail Mahomed Law Reform essay competition 2014
The South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC), in partnership with Juta Law, invites law faculties and all LLB and LLM students to participate in the Ismail Mahomed Law Reform Essay Competition for the 2014 academic year.
The purpose of the competition is to encourage critical legal writing by students while generating ideas for law reform which are aligned to South Africa’s priorities. The competition is open to all LLB and LLM students registered at a South African university in the 2014 academic year.
The competition is named in honour of the late Chief Justice and former Chairperson of the SALRC. The Ismail Mahomed Essay Competition was held in the years 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The 2014 competition marks the beginning of the second decade in which the competition has been held.
The SALRC and Juta Law have identified challenges that have affected the competition in past years, namely less than optimal participation by students and a mediocre quality of legal writing in some of the essays submitted. To address these challenges, the SALRC will increase its marketing of the competition at various campuses and will work closely with law teachers, especially coordinators of LLM programmes.
A guide to legal writing is being developed to assist students who wish to participate in the competition, and will be published during 2014. Other methods of sharing news about the competition with students are being explored. For example, Juta Law will be launching a twitter account that will be used to post information and host discussions about the competition.
The total value of the prizes offered this year is R70 000. Each of the winners in the LLB and LLM categories will receive a prize voucher to the value of R20 000. The runners-up for both the LLB and LLM categories will each receive a prize voucher to the value of R10 000. Credit vouchers to the value of R2 500 will be given to each of the winners’ supervisors and law faculty. There will also be special incentives for the lecturer and law faculty submitting the most student entries.
Essays can be on any topic relating to the modernisation, improvement, development or reform of any aspect, area or branch of South African law. Entries should be written in English and should be between 4000 and 6000 words long. Summaries of completed LLB and LLM dissertations will be accepted. The essays will be judged by a panel of judges appointed by the SALRC.
The winners, supervising lecturers and runners-up will be hosted at a function sponsored by the SALRC, and the prizes will be awarded at this event. Entries for the competition should be received no later than 30 September 2014.
They may be sent by email or registered post to the following addresses:
The Secretary
South African Law Reform Commission
Private Bag X668
Pretoria
0001
E-mail: jjoni@justice.gov.za
Tel: 012 622 6336 (Ms J Joni, State Law Adviser and Competition Coordinator)
