The Strathmore Law Review (SLR) has announced the Yash and Jill Cottrell Ghai Writing Prize, which will be an annual writing prize given to the best law-and-society article in every issue of the journal. This year, a cash prize of US$700 will be awarded to the article which best captures the Sixth Volume’s theme: ‘Law towards a better Africa’.  This is the first time the SLR is rolling out the prize, an important milestone for the both the journal and the promotion of legal research in Africa. It is proudly named after the outstanding Professors Yash and Jill Cottrell Ghai both who have exemplified excellence in legal research and writing throughout their long academic careers. Those targeted are pre-PhD researchers of law-and-society topics in Africa and it is hoped that the prize will attract original and creative work that tests established ways of thinking.

Flagship academic law journal

The award will be administered by SLR in conjunction with a special external committee. SLR is Strathmore Law School’s flagship academic law journal dedicated to publishing peer-reviewed legal-academic research around the different issues affecting countries in Africa. Since its first issue in 2015, the SLR has been a concistent annyal journal. The roll out of this prize is another demonstration of SLR’s enduring commitment to providing a platform for young researchers to publish their work.

Prize deadline

The prize deadline is 22 August 2020, and any submitted articles (which must be between 7,000 and 10,000 words and contain a comprehensive analysis of a topic related to the theme of the Sixth Volume) will automatically be considered unless an author opts out. The winning article will be selected through a joint decision of the Strathmore Law Review Board and a special selection committee comprised of seasoned scholars, and will be announced in February 2021. The SLR Board is also organising soon-to-be-communicated information sessions for any interested authors who may have questions as well as those who may want to find out more about the qualities of competitive articles.

The Yash and Jill Cottrell Ghai Writing Prize has been made possible through an endowment given by SLR’s long-term supporters, to whom the Journal remains thankful.

Detailed information on the Sixth Volume’s call for submissions and the Yash and Jill Cottrell Ghai Writing Prize can be found here.

This article was written by editors of the Strathmore Law Review, a peer-reviewed African law journal centred at Strathmore Law School and published by the Strathmore University Press.