ICJ Kenya is happy to announce that the 2022 Jurist of the Year Award (JOYA) recipient. To a man alive to the place of law in society, committed to interpreting the law courageously and ambitiously without fear or favor, we are honored to present this year’s Jurist of the Year Award to Hon. Justice Professor Joel M. Ngugi! The award ceremony was held on 9 December 2022 at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi.
“This award is meant for the many faceless Kenyans who daily fight for the Kenyan Constitution and Constitutionalism. It is intended for the many nameless Kenyans who diurnally fight for the Rule of Law. This is not my award: it is an award for the ordinary Kenyan who stands up every day for the Constitution and lives its aspirations without even calling it by name. I am merely their proxy.” – said Hon. Justice Joel Ngugi in his acceptance speech.
Since 1993, the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) has each year recognized the achievements of an outstanding Jurist dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights. The award was introduced both to commemorate International Human Rights Day and to recognize and honour the contributions of an exceptional Jurist.
Full acceptance speech by Hon. Justice Joel Ngugi: https://icj-kenya.org/news/hon-justice-professor-joel-ngugi-receives-the-2022-jurist-of-the-year-award-joya/
Link to the Full Citation of the 2022 JOYA Recipient that was read by his son, Keoni Ngugi : https://icj-kenya.org/downloads/2022-jurist-of-the-year-award-citation-hon-justice-joel-ngugi/
Keynote Speech by the Chief Guest, US Ambassador to Kenya [Her Excellency Margaret Whitman] : https://ke.usembassy.gov/ambassador-whitman-remarks-for-international-commission-of-jurists-icj-kenya-jurist-of-the-year-award-ceremony/
