Discuss Magna Carta for your chance to win $10,000
Calling all passionate writers! Questions for the 2015 Governor-General’s Prize have been announced recently, with themes touching on the history and current operation of the Australian Constitution.
Running for over a decade now, the Governor-General’s Prize encourages Australian undergraduate students to compete for this coveted accolade by researching and analysing one of several questions within a set topic. Participants are also in the running for prize money in excess of A$10,000.
2015 essay themes
To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, one of history’s most celebrated documents and the corner-stone of modern democracy, liberty, justice and the rule of law, the questions for this year’s Governor-General’s Prize explore four themes:
- Magna Carta’s relevance for contemporary Australia
- The rule of law that is the legacy of Magna Carta
- Protection of individuals’ freedoms, which concern can be traced back to Magna Carta
- Australia’s broader constitutional heritage, of which Magna Carta is a defining moment
How to compete
To compete, students must submit a 2,500 word essay answering one of the four questions. Entries for this year’s competition close on 30 June 2015 and finalists will be interviewed by a judging panel chaired by the Hon. Justice Patrick Keane of the High Court of Australia.
For more information about the competition, including specific rules of entry, full questions and submission details, visit the Governor-General's Prize website.