Bhuwan Ribhu

First Indian Lawyer to be Honoured with the Prestigious World Jurist Association

Bhuwan Ribhu, an Indian lawyer and child rights activist, has achieved a significant global recognition by becoming the first Indian lawyer to receive the ‘Medal of Honour’ from the World Jurist Association (WJA) at the World Law Congress. This prestigious award acknowledges his over two decades of dedicated work in child protection and child rights through legal interventions and grassroots mobilisation.

A Champion for Child Rights

Ribhu’s commitment to justice for children is evident in his philosophy: “Children should never have to fight for justice alone. The law must be their shield, and justice must be their right.” He has been instrumental in leading and filing approximately 60 Public Interest Litigations (PILs), which have led to landmark Supreme Court judgments concerning child protection, including recent rulings on child marriage and child pornography. His legal campaigns have also brought about crucial reforms, such as the Supreme Court’s definition of trafficking in line with the UN Protocol in 2011, and a pivotal judgment in 2013 addressing India’s crisis of missing children.

Founding Just Rights for Children

As the founder of Just Rights for Children (JRC), which is the world’s largest legal intervention network for child protection, Ribhu has built a powerful and globally influential organization. This network, comprising over 250 organizations, has been a driving force in reforming how crimes against children are prosecuted and prevented in India, striving to ensure that no child remains unprotected.

Global Impact and Key Reforms

Beyond his extensive legal work, Ribhu is a key figure in the global movement to eradicate child marriage by 2030, with his consistent efforts significantly advancing India towards this objective. His PICKET strategy, detailed in his book “When Children Have Children,” was notably endorsed by the Supreme Court in its 2024 guidelines for ending child marriage. He has also played a crucial role in initiating major legal and policy reforms to combat both online and offline child sexual exploitation, including the downloading and viewing of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM). Furthermore, he has worked to end impunity for child rape and played a key role in shaping India’s legal roadmap to end child marriage.

Recognition by the World Jurist Association

Javier Cremades, the President of the WJA, commended Ribhu’s contributions, stating that his unwavering belief in justice as a pillar of democracy has led him to dedicate his life to serving justice for child and women victims of sexual crimes both in India and globally. Cremades highlighted that Ribhu’s efforts have protected countless individuals and established legal frameworks that will safeguard future generations, underscoring the award as a testament to his relentless work in creating a safer and more just world for children through legal means.

The ‘Medal of Honour’ was presented to Ribhu by Eddy Olivares Ortega, the Minister of Labor of the Dominican Republic, and Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association, during the World Law Congress, an international event that gathered over 1500 legal experts and 300 speakers from more than 70 countries.

This accolade places Bhuwan Ribhu among an esteemed group of past WJA honourees, including figures such as Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, King Felipe VI of Spain, René Cassin, and Kerry Kennedy, all recognised for their profound contributions to justice and the rule of law.