THE AWARD
Nominations are invited for the Sir Henry Brooke Award, the annual award made by the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk that aims to honour a legal practitioner or human rights defender who, through personal endeavour in the course of his or her practice in a challenging environment, made an outstanding contribution to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights and the rule of law. Through the Award, the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk publicly celebrates the work and achievements of lawyers at risk and validates their essential and often invisible contribution to the defence of human rights. Former award winners include Adil José Meléndez Marquez, Donald Hernandez, Maricela Vazquez, Carla Palacios, Dina Meza, Reinaldo Villalba, Naomi Barasa and Daniel Prado. The Award is named after, and honours the life and legacy of, the late founder of the Alliance, Sir Henry Brooke. Sir Henry Brooke was a man of remarkable conviction, integrity and generosity whose life and career was characterised by his tireless commitment to justice, equality and human rights.

DETAILS
The Award will be presented at a ceremony in London in January 2025 and nominations should be submitted using the form here. All lawyers and human rights defenders who are prevented from carrying out their work independently – or who are at considerable risk – are eligible for nomination. There are no requirements for the nationality or country of origin of nominees. An independent selection committee comprising Professor Christine Chinkin (chair), Lord Carnwath, Sir Patrick Elias, Maya Lester KC and Lizzette Robledo de Howarth will select the Award winner according to the following criteria:

  1. The nature of the work undertaken by the individual to defend fundamental
    freedoms and promote human rights and the rule of law.
  2. The way in which that work has helped to protect and promote the rights and
    interests of marginalised and/or vulnerable groups or individuals within the community.
  3. How the individual has sought to overcome the challenges they have encountered in undertaking their work in defence of human rights and the rule of law.
  4. The impact of the individual’s work, whether locally or more broadly.
  5. The extent to which the individual  exemplifies Sir Henry Brooke’s commitment to justice, equality and human rights.