GNLU: 2ND GCRCJS Criminal Law Essay Writing Competition [Submit By 25th September]

Gujarat National Law University is a statutory University established by the Government of Gujarat under the Gujarat National Law University Act, 2003. The University is recognised by the Bar Council of India and the University Grants Commission. It is the  only National Law University offering integrated undergraduate law degrees in five areas- B.A. LL.B., B.S.W. LL.B., B.Com. LL.B., B.B.A. LL.B., and B.Sc. LL.B.; full-time LL.M., MBA in Financial Management and Business Laws and PhD in law and other disciplines as recommended by the UGC as well as diploma/certificate courses in various areas.

The GNLU Centre for Research in Criminal Justice Sciences (GCRCJS) is a specialized Research Centre focused on advancing the study of criminal law through comprehensive research and academic discussions. Since its inception, GCRCJS has organized numerous significant events, including the 13th Asian Criminology Conference, GCRCJS International Conference on Crime & Technology, multiple editions of their flagship Legislative Drafting Competition. GCRCJS actively facilitates the exchange of ideas through initiatives like the 'Crime and Justice: A Discourse Series,' the newsletter, 'The Crime and Justice Gazette,' and the blog, 'Crime & Justice Blog.' The Centre has hosted several prominent figures for webinars and guest lectures, including Justice Gita Gopi, Judge at the Gujarat High Court and Shri Shekhar Naphade, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India. 

Vision Of The Essay Writing Competition

This essay writing competition aims to provide students a platform to engage with critical issues facing India's criminal justice system. By examining the transformations over the past 78 years, participants will contribute to a deeper understanding of the current challenges and opportunities within the system.

Competition Themes

The Theme for the Competition shall be 'Evaluating the Shifting Features of India's Criminal Justice System After 78 Years of Independence' and various sub-themes, including:

• Analysing the Three New Criminal Laws;
• Emergence of White-Collar Crime;
• Functioning of Special Investigation Agencies;
• Introduction of New Crimes;
• The Continuance of Colonial Hierarchy in the Criminal Justice System;
• Emergence of New Criminal Activities through Cyberspace;
• The Rise of State Policing;
• The Criminal Justice Administration: Studying the Criminal Bureaucracy;

Participants are encouraged to strictly adhere to the themes for the Competition.

Call For submissions

Essays on the above theme and sub-themes are invited from students in the fields of Law, Criminology, Public Administration, Sociology, and related fields.

Award And Certificates

1ST PRIZE- 5K

2ND PRIZE- 3K

3RD PRIZE- 2K

All the participants will receive a Certificate of Participation, whereas the top 3 entries of the 2nd GCRCJS Criminal Law Essay Writing Competition will be published on the GCRCJS Crime & Justice Blog along with Certificate of Merit and Cash Prize.

Essay Submission Guidelines

Authors must adhere to the following guidelines for their Essay Submission.

• The name of the Author(s) or any other form of identification must not be mentioned in the Essay.
• Co-authorship is limited to a maximum of two (2) authors.
• Word limit: 1500-2000 words, excluding the Footnotes
• Font style – Times New Roman
• Font size – 14 for Headings, 12 for Body, 10 for Footnotes
• Line Spacing – 1.5 for Body, 1.0 for Footnotes
• Citation Style – OSCOLA
• Margins – 1 inch (i.e., 2.54 cm) on each side
• Note: Speaking footnotes are allowed in the submissions but are not mandatory. If included, they should be limited to a maximum of 50 words each.
  
• The plagiarism limit is 10% following UGC Guidelines.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence for submissions is strictly prohibited and highly discouraged.

Steps To Submit

• All submissions must be made by way of a Google Link.
• Only .doc or .docx submissions will be accepted. Submissions in any other format are liable to be rejected.
• The name of the document should be in the following format: 

           <Title of the Paper_EssayComp>

Important Links