J.P.A. François Prize

The J.P.A. François Prize is a prize that is awarded once every two years with a view to encouraging the study of public international law and private international law.

This prize of € 2,000 is awarded for a paper, scientific article or similar writing (Ph.D. theses do not qualify) on a subject of public international law or private international law. Persons who are students at or have obtained a Master’s degree from a Dutch university are eligible to compete for this prize, provided that they have obtained their Master’s degree less than two (2) years ago (as set out in more detail in the Bye-Laws governing the François Prize).

The jury is currently chaired by Prof. Dr C.M.J. Ryngaert, Professor of Public International Law at Utrecht University. The other two members of the jury are Dr O. Spijkers, Assistant Professor of International and European law at Leiden University College and an expert in the field of Private International Law (still to be confirmed).

François Prize

Jean Pierre Adrien François (1889-1978) was a Dutch jurist who served, inter alia, as the President of the International Law Commission and as Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (1954-1968). For more information, please click here  (in Dutch) …

The Board of the
ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
INVITES

those who are students at a Dutch university, or have obtained a Master’s degree from a Dutch University after 31 December 2023, to submit their Master’s thesis on a subject of Public International Law or Private International Law to compete for the

FRANÇOIS PRIZE 2026

Please note that submissions written by more than one author will not be accepted. Neither will be theses that have been adapted, for example with a view to publication.

The submissions will be judged by a jury chaired by Prof. Dr C.M.J. Ryngaert, Professor of Public International Law at Utrecht University. The other two members of the jury are Dr O. Spijkers, Assistant Professor of International and European Law at Leiden University College, and Dr Vesna Lazic, Associate Professor at Utrecht University and Senior Researcher at the Asser Institute.

Submissions should be anonymized and sent to the Secretariat of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law, either by email (gro.r1780931343ivnk@1780931343tcatn1780931343oc1780931343) or on paper in triplicate to KNVIR c/o Ms. I.W.C. Hogervorst P.O. Box 778 2300 AT LEIDEN. Each submission must be accompanied by a completed and signed entry form which can be found here. Only submission sent before Januari 1st 2026 will be taken into consideration.

The François Prize, named after Prof. Mr J.P.A. François (1889-1978),
was created in 1975 by the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law
with a view to encouraging the study of Public International Law and Private International Law.
The prize consists of an award of € 2,000 and a certificate.

  1. Ter aanmoediging van de studie in het internationaal publiekrecht en het internationaal privaatrecht heeft de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht (de “Vereniging”) de Françoisprijs ingesteld. De prijs bestaat uit een oorkonde en een bedrag van € 2.000, -. De hoogte van de prijs kan door het bestuur worden aangepast. De prijs wordt in beginsel eens in de twee jaar uitgereikt.
  2. De prijs wordt uitgeloofd voor een originele masterscriptie op het gebied van het internationaal publiekrecht of het internationaal privaatrecht, geschreven door één enkele auteur. Scripties die zijn bewerkt, bijvoorbeeld met het oog op publicatie, komen niet in aanmerking.
  3. Zij die studeren aan een Nederlandse instelling voor hoger onderwijs of daar het masterdiploma hebben behaald, kunnen meedingen naar deze prijs, mits zij op 31 december van het jaar voorafgaand aan het jaar waarin de betreffende prijs in principe zal worden uitgereikt het masterdiploma niet meer dan twee jaar daarvoor hebben behaald.
  4. Inzendingen mogen in de Nederlandse, Engelse, Duitse of Franse taal zijn gesteld.
  5. Inzendingen dienen vóór 1 januari van het jaar waarin de prijs in principe zal worden uitgereikt in drievoud het Secretariaat van de Vereniging in Leiden te bereiken. Inzendingen dienen geanonimiseerd te zijn en te worden begeleid door het daarvoor bestemde formulier. De secretaris van de Vereniging draagt zorg voor tijdige aankondiging van de prijs.
  6. De inzendingen worden beoordeeld door een onafhankelijke jury die door het bestuur wordt benoemd. De jury mag advies inwinnen van een of meer deskundigen indien zij niet over noodzakelijke gespecialiseerde kennis op een bepaald vakgebied beschikt.
  7. De inzendingen worden beoordeeld op onder meer originaliteit, beheersing van de stof en taalgebruik.
  8. De jury zal vóór 1 september van het jaar waarin de prijs in principe zal worden uitgereikt een besluit nemen over de toekenning van de prijs en hierover het bestuur informeren. In het geval dat twee of meer inzendingen zich niet opvallend van elkaar onderscheiden, kan de jury besluiten de prijs over verschillende inzendingen te verdelen of besluiten om naast de prijs een of meer eervolle vermeldingen toe te kennen. Ook kan de jury besluiten geen prijs toe te kennen indien naar haar oordeel geen van de inzendingen voor de prijs in aanmerking komt.
  9. De prijs zal worden uitgereikt tijdens de jaarvergadering van de Vereniging.
  10. In gevallen waarin dit reglement niet voorziet, beslist het bestuur.

Reglement zoals goedgekeurd door de Algemene Ledenvergadering van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht op 1 november 2019

  1. In order to promote the study of public international law and private international law the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law (Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht) (the Society) has created the François Prize. The prize consists of a certificate and a monetary award in the amount of € 2,000.-. The Board may adjust this amount. In principle, the prize is awarded once every two years.
  2. The prize is offered for an original Master’s thesis in the field of public international law or private international law, written by one single author. Theses that have been adapted, for example with a view to publication, do not qualify.
  3. Students at a Netherlands institution for higher education or persons who have obtained a Master’s degree there may compete for his prize, provided that on 31 December of the year prior to that in which, in principle, the prize in question will be awarded, they have obtained their Master’s degree not more than two years ago.
  4. Papers submitted may have been written in the Dutch, English, German or French language.
  5. Papers must be submitted in triplicate and reach the Secretariat of the Society at Leiden before 1 January of the year in which, in principle, the prize will be awarded. Submissions must be anonymised and be accompanied by the applicable form. The Secretary of the Society will arrange for timely announcement of the prize.
  6. An independent jury appointed by the Board will judge the papers submitted. In the event that the jury lacks the requisite expertise in any relevant field of study, it may request the advice of one or more experts.
  7. Papers submitted are judged inter alia on originality, knowledge of the subject and use of the language.
  8. Prior to 1 September of the year in which, in principle, the prize will be awarded the jury will decide on awarding the prize and inform the Board accordingly. In the event that two or more papers submitted are not significantly distinguishable, the jury may decide to divide the prize among several competitors or decide that, apart from the prize for the winner, it will award an honourable mention to one or more competitors. The jury also may decide not to award the prize if, in its opinion, none of the submissions deserves it.
  9. The prize will be presented during the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
  10. The Board will decide in any situation for which these Byelaws do not provide.

The text above is a translation of the original Dutch text of the Byelaws, the Reglement voor de Françoisprijs, as adopted by the General Meeting of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law on 1 November 2019. In case of conflict the Dutch language version shall prevail.

Click here for the François Prize entry form

François Prize Winners

At the Annual General Meeting of 1 November 2024, held in The Hague, the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Lautaro Melcón

Lautaro Pablo Melcón Meroi

Click here for the jury report

Click here for the prize winning paper

Mr Cor de Boer (Groningen University) received an honourable mention for his paper entitled “Perspectives on Advancing Protection for LGBTIQ+ Prisoners of War”.

At the Annual General Meeting of 4 November 2022, held in The Hague, the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Emma R. van den Boogaard

Ms Emma R. van den Boogaard

Click here for the jury report

Click here for the prize winning paper

Ms Ingeborg H. de Koningh (Leiden University) received an honourable mention for her paper entitled “Consolidating International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law: the Protection from Gender-Based Violence against Women in Non-International Armed Conflict”.

At the Annual Meeting on 6 November 2020, which was held online, the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Vassilis Dokalis

Mr. Vassilis Dokalis
First prize

Click here for the prize winning paper

Ms. Katharine Booth
Second Prize

Click here for the prize winning paper

Click here for the jury report

At the Annual Meeting in The Hague on 2 November 2018
the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Ms. Julie Albers

Click here for the jury report

Click here for the text of the prize winning paper

Catherine A. Blanchard

At the Annual Meeting in Utrecht on 4 November 2016
the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Ms. Catherine A. Blanchard

Click here for the jury report

Click here for the text of the prize winning paper

A revised version of the paper was published in the Canadian Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 53 (2015), p. 66-118.

mr. Martijn J. Keeman (University of Amsterdam) received an honourable mention for his paper entitled “The ships of State and the shipwrecked.”

Arron N. Honniball

At the Annual Meeting in Utrecht on 7 November 2014
the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

mr. Arron N. Honniball

Click here for the jury report

Click here for the text of the prize winning paper

mr. Itamar Magid, LL.M. (VU University) received an honourable mention for his paper entitled “Humanitarian Intervention – Responses to the Legal Paradigm.”

Irina Buga

At the Annual Meeting in Utrecht on 2 November 2012
the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Ms. Irina Buga

Click here for the jury report (Dutch)

Click here for a abstract of the prize winning paper

Abel Knottnerus and Fieke van Overbeeke received honourable mention.

Adinda N. D. Ceelen

At the Annual Meeting, the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to Ms. Adinda N. D. Ceelen (First Prize). Ms mr P. Jimenez Kwast (Utrecht University) jointly received the Second Prize for her paper entitled “Maritime Interdiction of Weapons of Mass Destruction in International Legal Perspective”. mr J.F. Vlek (VU University) also received the Second Prize for his paper entitled “Internationale Bevoegdheid bij Pluraliteit van Verweerders: één tegen velen in het internationaal bevoegdheidsrecht.

Click here for the text of the prize winning paper

Click here for a list of prize winners and honourable mentions prior to 2010