Kalisher Essay Competition 2026

The 2026 Kalisher Essay Competition carries a substantial prize of £2,000 for the winner and £500 for the runner up.

Entry criteria

If you:

  1. Are currently studying on the Bar Practice Training Course,
  2. Have completed the BTPC course and are awaiting or applying for pupillage, or
  3. Are currently in pupillage specialising in criminal law,

You are welcome to enter the competition.

Question

We invite submissions of up to 2,000 words (excluding reference footnotes and bibliography) in answer to the following:

“Prosecutions for “misconduct in public office” require careful assessment of whether an employee of an institution that fulfils a government function also performs the same function. R v Pearce (2025) EWCR 12 is a case in point.

In pre-trial rulings, the judge decides, not the jury.

How do the courts approach this issue? Have they got the balance right?  Is precedent enough or is a new statutory definition required in the interests of consistency.”

Entries will be marked anonymously by trustees and patrons of the Trust, who will select one winner and one runner-up.

Timetable and donation

Please could entrants send their essays to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 6th March 2026, ensuring that their entry is sent as a pdf, with their name and their Chambers’ name or Bar Course Provider’s name included in the document.

The prize will be awarded in April 2026.

As in previous competitions, any entering candidates who are currently in pupillage must be sponsored by their Chambers in the sum of £100 per entry. This money will go towards the work of the Kalisher Trust in transforming the lives of bright young people through the development of advocacy skills.

Our two main aims are helping talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve their potential through advocacy, and helping those with the requisite ability and ambition to develop careers as barristers at the criminal Bar. At a time of considerable pressure on the criminal Bar – not least for those in the earliest stages of their careers – we know we need to do even more to support, encourage and inspire the next generation of criminal barristers.

If you have questions in relation to any of the above please contact James Gwatkin, one the Kalisher Trust’s secretaries at [email protected]