Navi Pillay is a renowned human rights lawyer and the recipient of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Her most recent fight for justice was as Chair of a UN Commission which concluded Israel committed acts of genocide in Gaza.
Pillay’s career emerged out of a struggle against apartheid in South Africa where she was born. She became the first woman to establish a law firm defending apartheid activists and political prisoners, and made headlines in 1973 when she secured legal rights for the imprisoned Nelson Mandela. Pillay later became the first non-white woman judge in South Africa’s High Court. She then went on to serve as judge on the UN-backed International Criminal Tribunal for the genocide in Rwanda.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Pillay talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about her lifelong fight for justice which has challenged impunity at the highest of levels. Pillay’s award has most recently led to both the US and Israeli leaders condemning the decision and issuing sanctions against the International Criminal Court. The 85-year-old also reflects on what international justice looks like today in a conflict-ridden world increasingly dominated by strong men.
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