Bhuwan Ribhu has become the first Indian lawyer to receive the prestigious ‘Medal of Honour’ from the World Jurist Association (WJA), awarded at the World Law Congress held from May 4–6 in the Dominican Republic.
The WJA, the world’s oldest network of legal professionals, recognised Ribhu’s two decades of pioneering legal work in child protection.
Ribhu has led 60 PILs that resulted in landmark Supreme Court and High Court rulings, including the definition of trafficking in line with the UN Protocol, and a major ruling on India’s missing children crisis.
He is also the founder of Just Rights for Children (JRC), the world’s largest legal intervention network for child protection, working with 13 NGO partners in 41 districts of Madhya Pradesh.
WJA President Javier Cremades praised Ribhu’s lifelong dedication to justice for children and women, saying his efforts have saved thousands and created lasting legal protections.
In his speech, Ribhu said, “Children should never have to fight for justice alone. The law must be their shield.”
Ribhu’s six-prong PICKET strategy to end child marriage, outlined in his book When Children Have Children, has earned acclaim and endorsements. His work is central to India’s goal of ending child marriage by 2030.