2022 Kalisher Essay Prize: Winner Announced

The Trust is delighted to announce that Matt Ward, a pupil at 187 Fleet Street Chambers, is the winner of the Trust’s 2022 Essay competition. Matt submitted an outstanding essay, and is a worthy winner in a high-quality field, which continues to be a very popular part of the Trust’s support for under-represented groups seeking a career at the criminal Bar.  Our annual essay competition is open to any pupil undertaking a criminal pupillage, and is assessed anonymously by a panel drawn from the Trust.

The entrants were asked to respond to this essay question:

“Penn and Mead, Ponting, Randle and Pottle and now the “Colston Four”.

Are such verdicts, as Lord Devlin praised, the right of a jury to act as a long-stop against oppression by the State or was Lord Auld correct in 2001 to describe the perverse verdict as “a blatant affront to the legal process” such as to call for the law to declare, by statute if necessary, that juries have no right to acquit in defiance of the law or in disregard of the evidence.

Reflecting on his achievement, Matt said:

The Kalisher Trust does excellent and important work, so it’s a real honour to be recognised by them in this way and a welcome confidence boost as I get on my feet. The topic chosen for this year’s competition was thought-provoking and timely and one I really enjoyed exploring in detail. The jury system, whatever its imperfections, remains our best vehicle for trying serious criminal cases, and it’s right that we continue to examine why.

The competition represents a great opportunity, provides an income for the Trust and carries a generous cash prize. I cannot recommend it strongly enough to future pupils!

Congratulations Matt! The winning essay can be read here: Matt Ward – Kalisher Essay