FIVE things you didn’t know about Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay

South African jurist and human rights champion Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, recognising decades of work promoting human rights, international justice and the rule of law.

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Here are five things to know about the Durban-born legal trailblazer.

1. She was born in Durban in 1941

Pillay was born on 23 September 1941 in Clairwood, Durban, and grew up under apartheid.

Of Indian Tamil heritage, she experienced racial discrimination before building an international career in law and human rights.

She studied at the University of Natal, earning a BA in 1963 and an LLB in 1965. She later obtained postgraduate law qualifications at Harvard University.

2. She broke barriers in South African law

In 1967, Pillay became the first woman to establish a law practice in Natal. As an attorney, she defended anti-apartheid activists and political prisoners, and challenged the treatment of detainees under the apartheid government.

In 1995, she became the first Black woman appointed as a judge to South Africa’s High Court, marking another milestone in the country’s legal history.

3. She helped establish that rape can constitute genocide

Pillay served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 1995 to 2003, including four years as its president.

She played an important role in the tribunal’s landmark 1998 Akayesu judgment.

The ruling helped establish that rape and sexual violence could constitute acts of genocide when committed with the required intent to destroy a protected group. The decision became a significant milestone in international criminal law.

4. She held senior positions in international justice

Pillay served as a judge at the International Criminal Court before becoming United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in September 2008.

She held the UN position until August 2014, advocating for equality, human rights and accountability for serious violations.

She has continued her work in international law, including serving as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention.

5. She is the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Pillay the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law.

The recognition highlights her decades of work defending human rights, strengthening international justice and advancing accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Her career, spanning apartheid-era South Africa and major international judicial institutions, has made her a prominent figure in the development of international human rights law.

For South Africa, Pillay’s Nobel Peace Prize marks international recognition of a legal career that began in Durban and grew into decades of work at the centre of global justice.