Essay Competition: First Edition
From “RWF Aktuell 10/25”:
Does the criminal law secure human rights?
This was the central question posed by the Criminal Law Working Group when it launched its first-ever essay competition last spring. Students from all disciplines across Switzerland were invited to present written arguments for or against the topic: “Does the criminal law secure human rights?”
Following a review of the anonymized submissions by Tim Eicke KC, former judge at the European Court of Human Rights, the winner of the CHF 1,000 prize has been announced: 25-year-old Andrès Payer, currently completing his PhD at the RWF and working at Humboldt University in Berlin. Payer’s essay impressed the jury in particular through its compelling argument that criminal law’s current protective function can be traced back to its historical misuse — all while acknowledging the ongoing tensions between criminal law and human rights.
The next round of the competition is already in preparation, under the theme: “Why do we need criminal trials?”
Competitions will now be held annually, with the aim of encouraging students to engage with legal reasoning at the intersection of theory and practice.
For more information about the next call for submissions: Essay Competition II: Why do we need criminal trials?