The Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics, and Art is pleased to announce its 2025 Essay Prizes in Law, Politics, and Art.
An internationally recognised, multidisciplinary journal based in the University of Cambridge and affiliated with Trinity College, the CJLPA fosters a unique dialogue between law, politics, and art, bridging theory and practice, and robustly promoting freedom of expression. Contributors include Supreme Court judges, Nobel laureates, leading political figures, renowned artists, critics, and art historians.
Open across the three major disciplines covered in the Journal, this competition invites submissions from undergraduate students at the University of Cambridge.
Essay topics:
With separate prizes for each discipline, participants are invited to submit essays on one of the two questions:
Law:
‘He who saves his country, violates no law’ (attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, 1769–1821). Discuss.
Should AI replace human judges?
Politics:
‘And so tyranny naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme form of liberty’ (Plato, Republic, trans. Jowett). Discuss.
Is climate change shaping international relations? If so, how?
Art:
Does the art market define what is or isn’t art?
Restitution of the Elgin Marbles should be ‘freely offered as a homage to the indivisibility of art and—why not say it without embarrassment?—of justice, too’ (Christopher Hitchens, 1949–2011). Discuss.
Eligibility:
To enter the competition, participants must:
Be an undergraduate student enrolled at the University of Cambridge.
Submit an original, unpublished essay that is not under consideration elsewhere.
Follow CJLPA on one of our social media platforms and share or repost the competition announcement.
Submission Guidelines:
Word limit: 3,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography).
Formatting: Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced, in any widely-used referencing style.
Submissions must be in PDF format and sent via email to generaleditors@cjlpa.org with the subject line ‘CJLPA [Law / Politics / Arts] Essay Prize Submission – [Your Name]’.
Essays will be evaluated based on originality, clarity of argument, and depth of analysis.
Prize:
For each discipline, a cash prize of £250.
An opportunity to have your work read by eminent experts in the field.
Publication in CJLPA alongside leading scholars and practitioners.
Honourable mentions may also be considered for publication.
Deadline:
30 April 2025.