2025-2026 Rule of Law essay contest now open for secondary school students

The annual Rule of Law essay contest is now open. For the 2025-2026 school year, the Law Society invites all Grade 12 students and students who have taken, or are currently enrolled in, either Law 12, Political Studies 12, Social Justice 12 or Social Studies 11, to submit an essay on the following topic:

In a famous case in 1958 called Roncarelli v. Duplessis, the Supreme Court of Canada held that the rule of law was a fundamental postulate of the Canadian con­stitutional structure.  What do you think the Court meant by that, and give examples of how the Court’s judgment may still be relevant today.

The Law Society will select one winning essay and one runner-up from the entries it receives. The winning entry will be awarded a $1,000 prize, and the runner-up will receive $500. 

We invite secondary schools throughout the province to encourage their students to participate in the essay contest. The Law Society believes that a solid understanding of the relevance of the rule of law is critical to good citizenship and to preserving the rights, freedoms and democratic values we share as Canadians.

Read further details on the essay topic and submission guidelines.