The Kirby Cup

The Hon Michael Kirby addressing students at QUT

The Kirby Cup Law Reform Competition is a unique opportunity for Australian law students to consider the role of law reform and law reform agencies in Australia. To enter, law students must provide a written paper (between two and four thousand words) on a topic of law reform.

The competition is organised and sponsored by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC). The ALRC is an independent federal statutory authority that reviews Australia’s laws to ensure that they are equitable, modern and fair. Recent examples of ALRC inquiries include family violence, secrecy, royal commissions, privacy, sedition, evidence, sentencing, and genetic discrimination.

The competition is open to all students currently enrolled in a tertiary law course (including law courses offered by universities and legal practitioner admission boards). Students may participate in the competition as individuals or as a team of up to four students.

Winners will also have their names engraved on the perpetual Kirby Cup, which was donated by the Honourable Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG, a former Justice of the High Court of Australia and the first Chairperson of the ALRC. In addition, the ALRC will consider publishing a summary of the winning entry on the ALRC’s website and submitting it to a relevant journal for publication.

Past Competition Winners

The past winners of the Kirby Cup are:

2011: Melchor Inigo Raval (Monash University) and Tyler Fox (University of Newcastle)

2010: Israel Cowen and Adam Delacorn (Monash Univeristy)

2009: Ella Kucharova and Rebecca Zaman (University of New South Wales)

2008: Barbara Townsend and Karlo Tychsen (University of Newcastle)

2007: Tom Smyth and Christian Strauch (Australian National University)

2006: Brett Le Plastrier; Michael Lyons (University of Queensland)