Crime essay competition now open!

13th January 2025

3PB’s criminal law group is running an essay competition which is open to those with an interest in the criminal Bar. The competition closes on 1 February 2025 and carries cash prizes for the top three essays.

3PB has an enviable reputation in criminal law on the Western Circuit and a commitment to encouraging and promoting access and engagement from all those with a keen interest in criminal practice, especially those with strong links to the Western Circuit, at an early stage of their path to a legal career.

As part of that commitment, 3PB is pleased to launch its annual Criminal Law Essay Competition.

The competition is open to any student in sixth form and higher education (i.e. College, University degree, GDL, LPC, BPTC) or any graduate interested in the criminal Bar who, at the closing of submissions, does not have pupillage or a training contract and who are resident within the Western Circuit.

This year’s question is:

“𝑰𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚”

Entries must be submitted as a single Word document by midnight on 1 February 2025 to [email protected]

Essays must be no more than 1,500 words (including footnotes). In addition, entrants must outline at the start of their essay (in no more than 150 words) their link to the Western Circuit and interest in criminal practice. Entrants must also confirm what stage they are at in their studies, and that they do not yet have a pupillage or training contract. The 150 words do not count towards the total 1,500 word limit.

The top prizes for the 2024 competition are as follows:

1st prize: £150 cash prize plus a mini pupillage
2nd prize: £100 cash prize plus a mini pupillage
3rd prize: £50 cash prize plus a mini pupillage.

All three prize winning entrants will be offered a mini pupillage at 3PB with a criminal practitioner. The winning essay will also be published on the 3PB website.

Essays are judged in two stages:
In the first instance, members of chambers review all entries to select a shortlist.
At the second stage, the prize-winners are decided by a panel of three eminent legal practitioners and judges.

Each essay is judged against three criteria: (1) legal analysis; (2) structure; and (3) style and presentation.

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.