The objects of the Australian Legal History Essay Competition
- To promote interest in, and an awareness of, Australian legal history by encouraging students to develop a facility for describing historical events and for recognising their place in broader themes;
- To provide opportunities for Educators and Students (at several levels) to encounter Australian legal history through development of story-telling skills and exposure to broad themes,concepts underlying the general law, and particular cases of interest; and
- To recognise excellence in the study of Australian legal history.
2022 HISTORY COMPETITION PRESENTATION:
The Hon Andrew Bell, Chief Justice of New South Wales, delivered his Sir James Martin Oration in Banco Court on Tuesday 28 March 2023 . At this event, Chief Justice Allsop presented prizes to the winners and commended entries in our 2022 Australian Legal History Essay Competition.
Junior Secondary Award Winner with family and the Chief Justice the Hon Andrew Bell at the presentation.
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The Senior Secondary winner is Ruby Byrne for her essay, “An assessment of the legislative legacy of Prime Minister Whitlam Or Everything I learnt in Legal Studies I owe to Gough”
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Jonathan Tang received a commendation for his essay “Growth of the Federal Spirit: The First Post-Federation Rail Link between NSW and Victoria”
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The Junior Secondary winner was Junyoung Hong for his essay, “Why did Captain James Cook claim Australia for Britain in 1770 via the doctrine of Terra Nullius?”
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Rachael Choe received a commendation for her essay, “What factors led to women getting ‘the vote’ in Australia?”
The students’ schools were (alphabetically) Abbotsleigh, Chatswood High School, Katoomba High and Normanhurst Boys High School. Congratulations to these students and their teachers for the high quality of their submissions.
Results of the 2019 Essay Competition:
Today we are happy to announce the winners of our annual Essay competition. The winners are: Junior Secondary category: Annette Kim, Tara Anglican School for Girls, for an essay considering Australia’s prison system. Senior Secondary category: Rohan Hodges, Camberwell Grammar School, for an essay titled, “The Tasmanian Dams Case: To what extent has it influenced Australia’s environmental management? Was the dramatic response to the High Court’s decision justified?” Tertiary category: Joseph Chigwidden, University of New South Wales, for an essay titled, “How did the benefit of clergy operate to mitigate the rigours of the criminal law? What was the status of the doctrine in colonial New South Wales prior to its formal abolition?”. Well done to these students for their effort and interest!!!.
Results of the 2018 Essay Competition:
Tertiary Student category
The Prize goes to: Sebastian Cassinelli, a law student at Griffith University in Queensland for his essay is titled “The Constitutionally Implied Freedom of Political Communication: Australian Legal History’s Most Imperative Development”.
Senior Secondary category
The winner in the Senior Secondary category is Jingyoung Kim from The King’s School with an essay titled, “Distorted Narratives of Progress on Indigenous Land Rights”.
Daniel Se from Knox Grammar School received a commendation for his essay titled, “How have prominent women in Australian legal history navigated sexism and how have their achievements been represented and recorded?”.
Junior Secondary category
The winner in the Junior Secondary category is Annette Kim from Tara Anglican School for Girls with an essay in which she considered media coverage of Australian women involved in law and order.
- Sophie Ku from Pymble Ladies College received a commendation for her essay titled, “Rethinking Eddie Leonski, the Brownout Strangler”.
CONGRATULATIONS to all entrants and Prize winners
Entrants in the 2017 Australian Legal History Essay Competition were invited to address any question of their own choice on “Australian legal history”.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
In the Tertiary Student category, the winner is Damian Morris from the University of New South Wales for an essay titled, “A brief legal history of the New South Wales monetary system”. Daniel will receive a prize of $1000 and an Abbeys Bookshop voucher to the value of $1000.
Special commendations go to:
- Amelia Loughland, University of New South Wales, who considered the case of In re Jane New [1829] NSWSupC 11 and its implications (highly commended)
- Nanak Narulla, University of New South Wales, “Leadership from the Colony: Imprisonment for Debt Throughout the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries in England and New South Wales” (highly commended)
- Joseph Abi-Hanna, University of New South Wales, who considered the law of coverture (commended)
- Krishna Nand, Macquarie University, “The Strength of a ‘British Legal Empire’: Resisting British interdiction on convict freedom in colonial NSW” (commended)
In the Senior Secondary category, the winner is Sanjana Kumar from Trinity Anglican School with an essay titled, “Mandatory Minimum Sentencing: Australia’s Achilles Heel”. Sanjana will receive a prize of $250 together with an Abbeys Bookshop voucher to the value of $250.
In the Junior Secondary School category, the winner is Sophie Yeeun Ku from Pymble Ladies College with an essay on indigenous land rights.She will receive a prize of $250 together with an Abbeys Bookshop voucher to the value of $250.
Simon Chapple – Secretary, Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History
Originally posted 26 January 2018
Essay competition Results
ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS for 2016
The Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History is pleased to announce the results of the 2016 Australian Legal History Essay Competition.
In the Tertiary Student category, the winner is Daniel McKay, who has recently completed an honours thesis in law at the Australian National University, for an essay titled, “Under the Crown: Evolving Interpretations of the Office of Australian Governor-General as Constitutional Link to the British Empire, 1890-1931”. Daniel will receive a prize of $1000 and an Abbeys Bookshop voucher to the value of $1000.
Special commendations go to Freeman Zhong, a student at Monash University, for an essay titled “A Continuity in Australian Judicial Review”, and to Madisen Scott, a student Curtin University of Technology, for an essay titled, “The Power of Dissent: Evolving the Law and Gaining the Admiration of the People”.
In the Junior Secondary School category, the winner is Kyung Suh Park, a year 7 student at Kincoppal Rose Bay, for an essay that explored the life and legacy of Thomas Jeffries. She will receive a personal prize of $250 together with an Abbeys Bookshop voucher to the value of $250. Her school will receive a $250 Abbeys Bookshop voucher.
The essays in this category were of a particularly high quality and special commendations go to the following essayists (in alphabetical order): Michael Chooi (for an essay on Australian prisons since 1788); Sarah Kim (for an essay on penal reform); Winona Lu (for an essay on police corruption); and Brandon Yoon (for an essay on the Gun Alley tragedy).
The 2016 Competition was characterised by essays of high quality on a wide range of topics. All essayists are to be congratulated for their efforts. All will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the competition.
Date: 26 January 2017
Simon Chapple
Secretary, Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History
The results of the 2015 Essay Competition are available on the following link.
RESULTS NOTIFICATION FOR THE AUSTRALIAN LEGAL HISTORY ESSAY COMPETITION 2015.25.1.16.FINAL
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