31 October 2013

The Constitution Education Fund Australia (CEFA) joins the Dean of the Sydney Law School, Professor Joellen Riley to congratulate Ms Neha Kasbekar on winning the 2012 Governor-General’s Undergraduate Essay Competition. Her paper on the recognition of Australia’s first peoples in the Constitution was judged the best from the six participating finalists by an eminent panel chaired by The Hon Justice Kenneth Hayne AC of the High Court of Australia in late July this year.

The panel included The Hon Justice Pamela Tate of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Victoria, Dr Peter Gerangelos (Professor of Constitutional Law, The University of Sydney), Mr George Harris (Partner, Baker & McKenzie), Dr Peter Johnston (Senior Barrister and Lecturer in Constitutional Law) and Professor HP Lee (Sir John Latham Chair of Law at Monash University).

^{L-R: Professor Joellen Riley, Mrs Ros Winterton, Ms Neha Kasbekar,Mrs Kerry Jones,
Mr Phuong Van and Professor Peter Gerangelos at the Sydney University Law School
Morning Tea on 24 September 2013}

CEFA’s Executive Director, Mrs Kerry Jones and Deputy Director, Mr Phuong Van joined Neha, Professors Riley and Gerangelos and teaching staff of the Law School at Sydney University for a morning tea to honour her win on Tuesday 24 September 2013. Mrs Ros Winterton also attended to acknowledge the 2012 Professor George Winterton Trophy which will be presented to Neha in an official CEFA ceremony to be held early 2014.

Now in its tenth year, it is one of Australia’s most prestigious essay competitions and provides university students with the opportunity to be recognised for their academic skill, talent and research into topics relevant to the Australian democracy and the Australian system of government.

CEFA would like to express our gratitude to Professor Gerangelos for his continuing academic guidance and assistance with the Governor-General’s Undergraduate Essay Competition and Professor Riley for her strong support of the competition. Neha’s win and the merit of the Governor-General’s Undergraduate Essay Competition is recognised in the recent Spring edition of the University of Sydney’s Law School’s magazine Jurist Diction. CEFA supporters will be sent more information on this prestigious recognition in the near future