The Society for Advancement of Criminal Justice (SACJ), West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), is organising the NUJS SACJ National Criminal Law Essay Writing Competition 2026. The competition seeks to encourage critical legal scholarship and nuanced engagement with contemporary issues in criminal law and the criminal justice system.
About NUJS
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata, is one of India’s premier national law universities. The University is committed to excellence in legal education, research and scholarship, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary engagement and critical inquiry into contemporary legal and social issues.
About SACJ, NUJS
The Society for Advancement of Criminal Justice (SACJ) is a student-run academic society at WBNUJS dedicated to promoting research, discussion and awareness on contemporary issues in criminal law and the criminal justice system.
Established in 2004, SACJ is one of the oldest student-run societies at the University and the only academic society under the Student Juridical Association (SJA). The Society regularly organises guest lectures, workshops, competitions and academic initiatives aimed at encouraging meaningful engagement with criminal justice.
About the Essay Writing Competition
The NUJS SACJ National Criminal Law Essay Writing Competition 2026 is the Society’s national essay writing competition, providing students and research scholars with a platform to critically examine emerging issues in criminal law and criminal justice.
The competition seeks submissions that go beyond a descriptive account of the law and engage with the chosen theme through independent research, critical analysis and well-reasoned arguments.
Themes of the Essay
Participants may write on either of the following themes:
1. Manosphere, Online Radicalisation and Rape Culture
2. The Criminalisation of Dissent and Weaponisation of Public Order Laws
Eligibility
The competition is open to:
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Students enrolled in any UG/PG/PhD programme.
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Participants must be enrolled in an Indian University at the time of registration.
Submission Guidelines
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Word Limit: 3000
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Essays may be submitted individually or in co-authorship.
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A maximum of two authors is permitted per submission.
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Submissions must be original and unpublished.
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Detailed formatting, citation and submission requirements will be provided in the official competition guidelines.
Important Dates
Prizes
The competition carries a total cash prize pool of ₹15,000 for the top entries. The top 3 essays shall also be published in SACJ’s Blog.
Further details regarding the distribution of the prize pool and other recognitions will be provided in the official competition guidelines.
Registration Fees
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Single Authorship: ₹300
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Co-Authorship (up to 2 authors): ₹500
Registration
Interested participants can register for the competition through the following link:
Register Now:
The last date for registration is 20th September 2026.
Contact Information
For further details or queries regarding the competition, participants may contact:
Society for Advancement of Criminal Justice (SACJ)
West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata
Email: sacj@nujs.edu
To know more about Competition, click here.
