The Australian Academy of Law Annual Essay Prize 2025

The Australian Academy of Law is pleased to announce the offering of its Annual Essay Prize for 2025.

The Prize is open to anyone, wherever resident, who is studying or has studied legal subjects at a tertiary level, or who is working or has worked in a law-based occupation. There is no limit by reference to the age or seniority or experience of, or position held by, a person who may submit an entry. Accordingly, judicial officers, legal practitioners, legal academics and law students are all eligible to submit an essay.

The amount of the Prize is $10,000.

The essay topic for the Prize in 2025 is as follows:

Where has Bird v DP [2024] HCA 41 (‘Bird’) left the law of vicarious liability in Australia?  How does it differ from the law in other common law jurisdictions?  Should there be a legislative response to Bird and, if so, what should be its scope? 

The length of the essay to be submitted is a maximum of 8,000 words (excluding the abstract).

The deadline for the submission of an essay is 31 August 2025 and this time limit is strictly observed, as the Rules Governing the Annual Essay Prize make clear.

The Essay Prize Rules can be accessed here.

Access to the essay submission cover page is here.