2026-2027 Rule of Law essay contest now open for secondary school students

The annual Rule of Law essay contest is now open. For the 2026-2027 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 recent decision, 2026 BCSC 779 (CanLII) | Law Society of British Columbia v British Columbia (Attorney General), the Supreme Court of British Columbia held that the independence of the Bar is an unwritten constitutional principle. Why would an independent bar be so important in a constitutional democracy like Canada?

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.