Preamble

As a tangible expression of the Government of Canada's interest in comparative law, especially as regards the two major legal systems - civil law and common law - which are the basis of private law in Canada, and the human values inherent in the law, the Government has decided to establish a Grand Prize to be awarded by the International Academy of Comparative law.

To this end, the Government of Canada has made a forty thousand dollar (Canadian) donation to McGill University's Wainwright Foundation, in the hope that other governments, agencies, legal entities or individuals will add their contributions to this initial donation, the income from which are to be used to endow the grand Prize and ensure its international reputation. The following have also contributed to the Endowment Fund agencies (in chronological order):

  -  l'Association québécoise de droit comparé;
  -  the Faculty of Law of McGill University;
  -  the Wainwright Foundation.

This By-law is intended to establish the procedure for awarding and funding the Grand Prize.

BY-LAW

I Establishment of the Prize

Article 1
A fund is hereby established for the awarding of the Grand Prize of the International Academy of Comparative Law.

Article 2
The Grand Prize of the Academy is intended to recognize an original legal work, written in French or English, in which the common law and civil law systems are the subject of a critical comparative study in a field of private or public law, although other legal systems may also figure in the study. The work should be of a high scientific quality, suitable for publication in monograph form.

Article 3
The Grand Prize of the Academy will be awarded every four years at the International Congress of Comparative Law, which is held under the aegis of the Academy.

Article 4
The Grand Prize of the Academy is currently in the amount of ten thousands Canadian dollars ($ 10,000).

II Awarding the Prize

Article 5
A competition shall be held every four  years, under the direction of the Officers of the Academy, opening in the year following the International Congress of Comparative Law.

Article 6
The competition shall be open to all individuals who hold a law degree recognized by the relevant authorities in the country of which the candidate is a citizen or habitual resident.

Article 7
Officers of the Academy are not eligible to enter the competition.
 
Article 8
Candidates shall submit four hard copies of their, published or unpublished, manuscript to the Secretary General of the Academy, 28, rue Saint-Guillaume, 75007 Paris, France, by December 31 of the year preceding the International Congress of Comparative law organized by the Academy. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit at the same time an electronic version, in Word, pdf or other standard format, to the Secretary General at secretariat@iuscomparatum.org.

Article 9
The application, in the form of a simple letter, must include the name, email address and full postal address of the candidate, together with a signed statement of the candidate that the manuscript was completed during the four years preceding the year of the Academy’s congress, even in cases where it is published at some other time. Each submission should include a brief biography, list of degrees held by the candidate and a list of publications.

Article 10
The prize shall be awarded by the Academy on the recommendation of a panel assembled by the Academy for that specific purpose, based on the entries in the competition.

Article 11
The panel shall comprise three internationally recognized jurists, who may or may not be
members of the Academy, one of whom shall be appointed Chairperson.

Article 12
The Chairman shall establish the procedure for the deliberations of the panel.

Article 13
The panel shall submit its recommendations to the Secretary General of the Academy by May 31 of the year in which the Congress is held.

Article 14
The panel may decide to abstain from making any recommendations regarding the awarding of the prize.

Article 15
The name of the prize winner shall be announced at the International Congress of Comparative Law following the competition.

Article 16
The prize may be presented on behalf of the Academy by the Canadian ambassador to the country in which the Congress is held, or by an authorized representative of the federal Department of Justice.

Article 17
Publication of the prize winning work shall include a specific mention of the fact that the work has been recognized by the International Academy of Comparative Law. The author shall also, as directed by the Officers of the Academy, mention the initial grant from the Government of Canada and the grants from any other person or agency having made a subsequent contribution.

III Funding for the Prize

Article 18

The prize shall be funded from revenues produced by the $ 40,000 capital donation made by the federal Department of Justice to the Wainwright Foundation of the McGill University Faculty of Law.

Article 19

The capital of the donation shall be administered by the Wainwright Foundation in accordance with McGill University's endowment investment program so as to maintain the value of the capital at a constant level.

Article 20

The Wainwright Foundation shall submit to the Treasurer of the Academy on an annual basis audited financial statements showing revenues produced by the capital, any revenues that eventually remain unused, and expenditures involved in the awarding of the prize.

Article 21

The annual budget required for the fundings of the prize shall be established by the Officers of the Academy basis of financial statements produced by the Wainwright Foundation.

V Further Provisions

Article 22

The prize shall be administered by the Secretary general of the Academy, who shall report to the Officers of the Academy.


Article 23

Copies of the present By-law, duly adopted by the Officers of the Academy, shall be sent to the federal Department of Justice and to McGill University.

Article 24

The present By-law may be amended by the Officers of the Academy upon request of any two Officers of the Academy, or of the Wainwright Foundation Committee.

Montreal, 10 May 1991