The World Jurist
Association is the world’s oldest association of jurists and since its
establishment in 1963, the World Jurist Association has honoured iconic figures
such as Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, King Felipe
VI of Spain, René Cassin, and Kerry Kennedy for their contributions to justice
and the rule of law.
Elated with this
momentous honour conferred to the founder of JRC, A.J.Hariharan of Indian Community Welfare Organisation –
I.C.W.O.said, “This is not just an individual honour for Bhuwan Ribhu
ji—it is a moment of immense pride for all of us working on the ground to
protect every child. His recognition by the World Jurist Association inspires
and energises us deeply. With the support of the state government and the
district administration, we are committed to making Salem District child
marriage free by 2030. We are also determined to ensure that not a single child
from our district is trafficked for child labour. This global honour
strengthens our resolve and gives us renewed enthusiasm to intensify our
efforts for a safer, more just world for our children.”
The event held in Dominican
Republic, the event brought together over 1500 legal luminaries and 300
speakers from more than 70 countries. The world’s oldest association of jurists
honoured Bhuwan Ribhu for his pioneering work of over two decades, using legal
interventions and grassroots mobilisation to advance child protection and child
rights.
Speaking on the
occasion, Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, said, “Our
founder receiving the Medal of Honour is a landmark moment not just for our
network, but for the entire child rights movement in India. It reaffirms that
legal intervention is a powerful tool to protect our children and uphold their
dignity. This recognition by the World Jurist Association puts the spotlight on
the tireless work of thousands of grassroots defenders across India who are
part of the Just Rights for Children network. We are proud, and more
importantly, we are motivated to continue our mission to make every district
safe and just for children.”
Lauding
Bhuwan Ribhu’s work and achievements over the years, Javier Cremades, President
of the WJA, stated, "Bhuwan firmly believes that justice is the strongest
pillar of democracy and has dedicated his life to the service of justice for
children and women who are victims of sexual crimes in his country and
globally. His efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of children and women
and set legal frameworks that will protect generations to come. This award is a recognition of his tireless
work building a safe, more just world for children through the power of the
law.”
Bhuwan Ribhu received the ‘Medal of Honour’ by Eddy Olivares Ortega, Hon'ble Minister of Labor of Dominican Republic, and Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association. Also present on the occasion was Hon’ble Minister of Women of the Dominican Republic Mayra Jiménez.
Bhuwan Ribhu has led
over 60 PILs resulting in landmark rulings in the Supreme Court and various
High Courts. His 2011 case led to the Supreme Court defining trafficking in
line and his 2013 campaign on missing children triggered a historic judgment
changing the way India’s legal system perceived missing children cases. He has
driven key legal reforms against child sexual exploitation—both online and
offline—and has been instrumental in strengthening laws against child rape and
child marriage.
His PICKET strategy to end child marriage, outlined in When Children Have Children, was endorsed by the Supreme Court in its 2024 guidelines. The strategy is also followed by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation – I.C.W.O. which is determined and confident that the district would be free from child marriage by 2030.
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