NUJS SACJ National Criminal Law Essay Writing Competition 2026

The NUJS SACJ National Criminal Law Essay Writing Competition is an annual initiative of the Society for Advancement of Criminal Justice (SACJ), bringing together emerging voices in criminal law from across India to engage with some of the field’s most pressing and evolving questions. With hundreds of submissions from across the country, the competition has become a platform for rigorous research, fresh perspectives, and critical conversations on contemporary criminal justice.

This year, we build on that legacy by continuing to create space for thoughtful scholarship and new voices in criminal law.

We are delighted to announce Lawctopus as our Media Partner and Lawctopus Law School as our Knowledge Partner for the 2026 Annual Criminal Law Essay Writing Competition Lawctopus, started in 2010, is India's leading online media and education portal for law students and young lawyers. The media vertical, Lawctopus.com, reaches to nearly 4 lakh readers every month. The ed-tech vertical, Lawctopus Law School (LLS), teaches more than 2000 learners every year. With a rating of 93.2/100, LLS' practical, online courses teach skills such as legal research, contract drafting, IP law, and more. On the media site, content such as law-related conferences, workshops, internships, jobs, and career advisory pieces and blogs make Lawctopus the young lawyer's go-to friend and guide!

All participants of the Essay Writing competition shall receive a 10% scholarship code from Lawctopus Law School.

Find out more about Lawctopus and Lawctopus Lawschool here and here!

Theme for this Year

Manosphere, Online Radicalisation and Rape Culture
The Criminalisation of Dissent and Weaponisation of Public Order Laws

Prizes

The top three entries will be published on the SACJ Blog and a cash prize pool of ₹15,000 will be awarded to the top entries in recognition of outstanding research, analysis, and writing.

Register Now!

Registrations are open to students and research scholars enrolled in any UG, PG, or PhD programme at an Indian University. Participants may register individually or in co-authorship.

The guidelines for the submission may be accessed here.

Registration Fee:

Single Author: ₹300
Co-Authorship: ₹500

The last date to register is 20th September 2026. The last date for submission is 5th October 2026.

Ready to put your ideas on paper? Register now and join participants from across the country in engaging with contemporary questions in criminal law and criminal justice.