Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Center for International Human Rights (CIHR) has announced its plan to present Kenyan High Court judge Mumbi Ngugi with an award.
Justice Ngugi was feted in CIHR’s sixth Global Jurist of the Year Award held on Webinar, Tuesday.
She is domiciled in the Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Division of the High Court.
Honourable Ann Williams retired U.S. Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit according to the statement but the law school interviewed Justice Ngugi before awarding her.
She hailed the Kenyan judge for devoting her life in addressing human rights, equity and inclusion matters.
Thomas F. Geraghty, interim director of CIHR said awarding of Ngugi is a show of good faith for her selflessness in dispensing justice.
“It is important that we bring to our University community distinguished practitioners and scholars who not only speak and write but those who courageously work to implement human rights on the front lines.
“Without them, little progress would be made in implementing human rights protections. She is a role model for our faculty and for students who aspire to be future Justice Ngugi’s,” he said.
The Global Jurist of the Year Award has for long honoured sitting judges in international and national courts for their role in defending and promoting the tenets of international criminal justice.
Before she was transferred to the High Court in Nairobi domiciled in Milimani Law Courts, Justice Ngugi served as Kericho High Court Judge heading Constitutional and Human Rights Division.
Though many know her from the high seat in the court, she was a writer and researcher before her appointment on the bench.
Justice Ngugi doubled up as a human rights advocate working with women, children and those with albinism.
She was the brains behind the Kenya Human Rights Commission Bi-annual Human Rights Report for six years.
Justice Ngugi boasts of a lustrous private practice for 17 years where she specialized in civil litigation and family law.
She holds a master of laws (LLM) in commercial and corporate law from the London School of Economics, University of London and a bachelor of laws degree (LLB) from the University of Nairobi.
