ICJP Student Essay Competition 2025
Ready to dig into discourse that matters this summer? Join our 2025 Student Essay Competition and make a contribution to the right side of history.
Our winners will receive prizes of £3,000 for 1st place, £1,000 for runner-up, and £500 for second runner-up, as well as the chance to be considered for an internship with ICJP!
Essay Title
All submissions must answer one of the following two title questions:
Question 1
Israel has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against the Palestinian people. Western countries are not taking action to address this impunity. What political, legal, or diplomatic action within existing systems could be taken or supported to address this impunity?
Question 2
Senior Israeli officials face arrest warrants in the International Criminal Court and Israel is defending itself against allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice. Some propose that international institutions are toothless. What reform is needed in the international political-legal system to ensure better accountability in Palestine and elsewhere?
Submission Timeline
Entry Deadline: 12th September 2025
All entries must be submitted by the end of the day on 12th September 2025.
Defence of Thesis: Late September
Winners Announced: October
Competition Rules
- 1. Open to Bachelor’s and Master’s students only.
- 2. All submissions must answer one of the set title questions.
- 3. Only English-language submissions will be accepted.
- 4. Word Count: Strictly 1500-2000 words, excluding footnotes.
- 5. Your essay must be your own original work. Plagiarism and use of AI tools will lead to immediate disqualification and the participant in question will be barred from entering future ICJP competitions.
- 6. Your essay must be appropriately formatted in the style of an academic essay and clearly written.
- 7. Your essay must be thoroughly referenced in a consistent manner using the OSCOLA referencing style. All essays must include an abstract addressing the real-world application of the respective essay, whereby students reflect on their findings in practical terms as much as possible.
- 8. You must be prepared to defend your essay in front of a panel of judges if shortlisted.
How to Enter
Submit your entry below!
By submitting an entry to ICJP’s Student Essay Competition, entrants grant the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians a licence to use, reproduce, adapt, distribute, and publicly display their submitted work in any media and for any purpose related to the organisation’s activities, without further notice or compensation. By entering, entrants give permission for the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians to contact them via email with news, updates, and information about the competition and about the organisation’s activities. Personal data will be processed in accordance with UK data protection laws and our Privacy Policy.