“When we suffered under apartheid, those were immoral laws, they institutionalised racism. Where could we go for relief? And I yearned for a better system of law based on values.” Waihiga Mwaura talks to Navanetham or 'Navi' Pillay who has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
The daughter of a bus driver, Navi grew up in segregated South Africa witnessing racial and gender discrimination on a daily basis. Determined to become a lawyer she spent decades representing political prisoners of the apartheid era and was the first non white woman to be appointed to South Africa’s high court.
She went on to represent the victims of the Rwanda genocide as a judge on the UN-backed International Criminal Tribunal and was elected to the International Court of Justice. She also chaired a UN commission investigating human rights violations in Gaza.
The Nobel committee said the award recognises Pillay’s lifetime of work, praising her commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass.
The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with the president of the ICRC, Mirijana Spolaric and the former Australian prime minister minister Julia Gillard, plus many others. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Waihiga Mwaura Producer: Albert Kirui, Charles Gitonga and Clare Williamson Editor: Farhana Haider
(Image: Navi Pillay. Credit: Reuters)