Ranchi/Santo Domingo, May 6: In a historic moment for India’s legal and child rights landscape, Bhuwan Ribhu, a lawyer and activist with a two-decade track record of legal reform, has been awarded the Medal of Honour by the World Jurist Association (WJA) — becoming the first Indian lawyer to receive this global distinction.
The award was presented at the World Law Congress, held from May 4 to 6 in the Dominican Republic, an event that convened over 1,500 legal minds and 300 speakers from 70 countries. With past recipients of the WJA honour including luminaries like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ribhu now joins this esteemed lineage, recognised for his pioneering use of law as a tool to protect the most vulnerable: children.
“Children should never have to fight for justice alone,” Ribhu said in his acceptance speech. “The law must be their shield, and justice must be their right.”
The honour acknowledges Ribhu’s work as the founder of Just Rights for Children (JRC), now the world’s largest legal intervention network dedicated to child protection. With over 250 partner organisations globally, the network combines strategic litigation with grassroots mobilisation, reshaping how crimes against children are prosecuted and prevented.
But perhaps the most urgent and impactful facet of Ribhu’s work lies in one of India’s most marginalised regions — Jharkhand.
A battle for justice in Jharkhand
Jharkhand, a mineral-rich state in eastern India, is also home to some of the country’s highest rates of child marriage and trafficking. According to the National Family Health Survey (2019–21), 32.2% of girls in Jharkhand are married before the age of 18 — far above the national average of 23.3%.
To counter this grim reality, JRC works with 23 local NGOs, covering all 24 districts of the state. Their shared mission: to eliminate child marriage by 2030 and fortify systems for child protection.
“This is a landmark moment for India’s child rights movement,” said Ravi Kant, National Convenor of JRC. “It reaffirms that legal intervention is a powerful tool to protect our children. We are proud and motivated to continue our mission to make every district safe and just for children.”
Ribhu’s legal activism in Jharkhand is not just symbolic; it has been deeply systemic. His efforts have contributed to creating legal precedents and building grassroots capacity in regions where child protection mechanisms are often weak or absent. The award, therefore, resonates not only in global legal circles but in the remote blocks of Palamu, Dumka, and West Singhbhum, where JRC’s field workers operate.
Justice through the courts
Over the past 20 years, Ribhu has filed and led 60 public interest litigations (PILs), many of which have brought about historic rulings in India’s Supreme Court and High Courts. A 2011 PIL he led helped define human trafficking in line with the UN Protocol, while a 2013 campaign on India’s missing children led to sweeping judicial mandates for child tracking.
He has also been at the forefront of India’s legal battle against child sexual exploitation — both online and offline — including landmark cases involving child sexual abuse material (CSEAM). His PICKET strategy to combat child marriage, detailed in his book ‘When Children Have Children’, was recently endorsed by India’s Supreme Court in 2024 guidelines.
“Bhuwan has dedicated his life to the service of justice for children and women who are victims of sexual crimes,” said Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association. “His efforts have saved hundreds of thousands and created legal frameworks that will protect generations.”
Global recognition, local impact
The recognition from the World Jurist Association underscores a growing global consensus: legal mechanisms, when used effectively, are among the most powerful tools to protect human rights. For Bhuwan Ribhu, the honour is a validation of decades of dogged advocacy — but it is also a reminder that the work is far from over.
For the children of Jharkhand — and countless others across India and the world — it is a beacon of hope.
