Navi Pillay, the South African-born jurist awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week, said on Monday that she initially needed written confirmation of the award before believing the news, reflecting her approach as a judge of relying on evidence.
“I received the letter in writing … so now I have read it for myself, and it's true,” Pillay, 85, told The Associated Press in an interview.
She received the award for promoting international law at a time when the global legal system is facing mounting challenges.
Pillay's career has included defending the rights of imprisoned Nelson Mandela, chairing a United Nations commission that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, and serving as a judge at three international courts.
“To be honored for that kind of work is tremendous, not only for me, but for all my colleagues,” she said.
On the 125th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee sought to highlight the importance of the rule of law at both national and international levels.
“The rule of law, national and international, underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts nonviolently. Peace requires justice,” committee Chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes said.
Pillay's award is widely viewed as a high-profile rebuke to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both of whom have rejected the findings of the UN commission she led on Gaza. Both leaders have also strongly criticised the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, where Pillay previously served as a judge.
“I value the focus of the selection committee on this important area, because it does affect the whole world if the rule of law is not respected,” she said.
Pillay criticised Trump, who has long sought the Nobel Peace Prize, describing Washington's attacks on the ICC as “completely unlawful” and “negative and cruel.”
“Heads of countries have a particular responsibility to spell out the principles, which is that you respect the law, you respect international law,” she said.
Hours after the announcement of her award in Oslo, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sweeping new sanctions against the ICC as part of a campaign to dismantle the institution.
Pillay urged countries to defend the court and the broader international legal order, calling for “collective action, not just words” from the international community.
She said impunity was unpopular across the world and that people wanted justice. Public frustration, she added, stemmed partly from the fact that powerful countries such as Russia and the United States are not members of the ICC but hold permanent seats on the UN Security Council, where they can veto efforts to hold them accountable.
Pillay faced strong criticism from Israel over her role as chair of the UN commission on Gaza, which concluded last year that Israel had committed genocide in the territory with the specific intent of destroying Palestinians there.
She dismissed Israel's response, saying the conclusions had been challenged only by the United States and Israel.
“We just have this condemnation by the state of Israel because they are the ones that we have held responsible,” she said.
Human rights organisations and many genocide experts have reached similar conclusions.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel strongly denies the allegations.
Pillay acknowledged that the current global situation may appear challenging but noted that international law is a relatively recent development in human history.
“Justice is slow, so we must not be impatient,” she said.
However, she cautioned against complacency and urged people to assess events as a judge would by examining the evidence rather than accepting claims at face value.
“Don't fall for false propaganda or just repeat slogans,” Pillay said, urging people to verify the evidence for themselves.