HKU ROLE Project -
Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023
(Deadline is Friday, 24 November 2023!)

Since 2012, the Rule of Law Education (ROLE) Project at The University of Hong Kong has been developing academic materials and other resources to interact with the general public to promote a better understanding of the rule of law in Hong Kong.

 

To encourage secondary school students to learn actively, think creatively, and to share their thoughts and opinions on the principles of the rule of law and its significance in society, the ROLE Project is pleased to organise its 5th Rule of Law Essay Competition this year and is now inviting entries from senior secondary school students on the following topic:

 

Assume that you are a student representative of your school responsible for assisting your teachers in explaining and/or proposing changes to the school rules.  Describe how you could apply the rule of law principles to the school rules.

 

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Eligibility

The Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023 is open to all students who are currently enrolled in either S.4, S.5, or S.6 (or equivalent) in any secondary school in Hong Kong.

 

Language and Format

Essays may be submitted either in Chinese (word limit: 900 words) or in English (word limit: 800 words); a student can submit ONLY ONE essay (in either English or Chinese).

 

Assessment Criteria

All essays will be scored anonymously by a panel of judges, who will assess each essay based on its 1) content; 2) structure; 3) writing style; and 4) creativity.

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Awards

There will be a total of 6 winners, 3 for each language group in the categories below:

 

Champion: HK$3,000 and certificate

First runner-up: HK$2,000 and certificate

Second runner-up: HK$1,000 and certificate

 

A number of Certificates of Merit will be awarded to high-quality entries at the discretion of the judges, as appropriate.

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Submission

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I. How to submit:

There are 2 ways to submit an essay:

1. by email to lawassn@hku.hk with “HKU Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023” as subject title; or

2. by post to Room 0401, 4/F, Cheng Yu Tung Tower, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong with “HKU Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023” marked on the envelope.

 

II. What to submit:

All entries must include: 1) the essay; 2) a completed application form; and 3) a copy of the participant’s student identity card (for the relevant secondary school attended).

 

Deadline

The deadline is Friday, 24 November 2023. Entries to be submitted via email must be received by this date, and entries to be submitted via post must be postmarked no later than this date.

 

Other Rules and Guidelines

 

1. The participant's name should only appear on the application form accompanying the essay. Do not identify yourself (by your name, pseudonym, or school name, etc.) in any part of the essay. Judges will score all essays anonymously.
    

2. Plagiarism and/or impersonation is strictly prohibited.
    

3. All entries must be original work by the entrant, unpublished in any form (including on any websites, blogs, online forums, newspapers, magazines, etc.), and not previously performed or awarded.
    

4. Essays must be written by a single author; co-authored essays are not accepted.
    

5. Use of generative AI is not allowed. Entries will be disqualified if any AI-generated content is identified. We reserve the right to follow up accordingly if any doubts related to AI use arise, and to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis.
    

6. Please indicate the number of words at the end of the essay.
    

7. Entrants are not allowed to submit their entries to other competitions before the result of the Rule of Law Essay Competition is announced.
    

8. Once submitted, the essay entry is considered final. We do not allow participants to modify an entry after it has been received.
    

9. Entries via post will not be returned. Please make a copy as necessary before submission.
    

10. Winners of the Rule of Law Essay Competition accept that the copyright of their essays belongs to Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong. Written consent must be obtained prior to any republishing or repurposing of the essays.
     

11. The organiser has the discretion to disqualify incomplete entries or those that do not adhere to the above guidelines, copyright, or any other applicable laws or regulations and to reclaim prizes awarded.

 

The results of the Competition will be announced in February 2024 on the ROLE website (www.role.hku.hk). Winners will also be informed individually by email.

 

Please direct additional questions to lawassn@hku.hk or contact Ms Lydia Choi on 3917 4802.