Kalisher Essay Competition

KALISHER ESSAY COMPETITION 2020

We are delighted to announce the winner of the Kalisher Essay Competition 2020, with a substantial prize of £2,000: Bramble Badenach-Nicolson of 5 Paper Buildings.

The competition was open to all pupils currently undertaking a criminal pupillage; our winner submitted 2,000 words in answer to the following question:

“Section 4 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 introduces a new offence of ‘entering or remaining in a designated area’ outside the United Kingdom. The provision is intended to protect the public from the risk of terrorism. However, it is not retrospective. Should it have been?”

The competition this year has been very high, and we congratulate all those who submitted an entry to the Trust. Commenting on her winning entry, Bramble said:

Winning this year’s Kalisher Essay Competition has given me a real confidence boost as I embark upon my second six months of pupillage. It is a huge honour to receive praise for my written work from senior members of the judiciary and Criminal Bar. 

I feel very fortunate to have been awarded such a generous prize. Life at the Criminal Bar is financially unpredictable for anyone, but especially when starting out as a pupil. 

 I applied for a criminal pupillage because I was attracted to the ethos of the Criminal Bar; independence, integrity and a large dose of goodwill unite those who welcome the privilege to represent those people who are unable to stand up for themselves, on what could be the most important day of their life.

 It is thanks to the Kalisher Trust that many people are able to aspire to a career at the Criminal Bar. As a beneficiary, I hope, one day, I will be able to make the powers-that-be realise that being a criminal barrister is not a hobby which can be funded by doing “other work that pays better”, but a job which carries huge social responsibility”.