South African judge Navi Pillay awarded 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee gave the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay on October 9. Pillay is a South African judge who has spent decades working in international law and human rights.

Pillay was born in 1941 and grew up in Durban during apartheid. She became the first woman to open a law practice in Natal Province in 1967. She also represented Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists in court.

Later, she served as a judge on the international tribunal that dealt with the Rwanda genocide. She also worked as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008.