New Delhi, 09 October: Announcement of Noble Peace Prize going to Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay, the South African jurist of Indian origin today, October 9, for her efforts to promoting peace and international law is yet another proverbial feather in the Indian diaspora hat.  

During her long career, the 85-year-old held states and national leaders accountable, besides bringing hope to victims of violence and conflict, and demonstrating a firm moral compass, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said. She is well known for holding states and national leaders accountable and bringing hope to victims of violence and conflict.

Navanethem Pillay was born on September 23, 1941, to Indian parents of Tamil descent in Clairwood in South Arica’s Durban. She grew up under apartheid and later went on to build a career defending anti-apartheid activists and advancing human rights and equality.

“We grew up very poor. My father was a bus driver, and then seven children, the usual seven children. I tell the story because most people assume that in my country if you are an Indian, you’re better off than the African people. Yes, so all of us were poor and we struggled together,” she earlier said in a United Nations interview. However, Pillay called her life struggles “worth it” since she was able to “help someone who’s helpless”.

She studied at the University of Natal and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1963, followed by a law degree in 1965. In 1967, she became the first woman to open a law practice in South Africa’s Natal Province, representing political activists detained by the apartheid government.

Later on, she pursued postgraduate studies at the Harvard University and earned a Master in Laws in 1982 and a Doctor of Juridical Science in 1988. She later became the first Black woman to serve as a judge on South Africa’s High Court.

Pillay is a lawyer and a jurist in the International Court of Justice. Her career highlights the need to support, fortify and expand the global rule of law. Her commitment to justice and human dignity inspires those striving to build a more peaceful world.

 In an impressive career, she has served on South Africa’s high court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Court. Apart from this, she was also the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She has even led the UN commission of inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Among Pillay’s most notable works, she has contributed in landmark decisions that established how rape and sexual violence can constitute genocide and crimes against humanity.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to its former judge. The honour showed the importance of international justice in securing lasting peace, the ICC said.

“This is an important recognition of the vital role that international justice plays as a cornerstone of lasting peace,” ICC President Tomoko Akane said, as per AFP. “At a time of profound challenges to the international legal order and the rule of law, this recognition carries particular significance,” she added.