The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the laureate on Friday (October 9, 2026) at approximately 3:00 PM BST, commending her pivotal role in ensuring that perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are held accountable under international law. Born in Durban, South Africa, to an Indian-origin Tamil family during the apartheid era, Pillay overcame systemic oppression to become a pioneering attorney, representing anti-apartheid activists including Nelson Mandela. Over her decades-long career, she served as a High Court judge in South Africa, a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and a judge on the International Criminal Court (ICC). Recently, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, and currently serves as a judge ad hoc at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the genocide case against Myanmar. The committee noted that honoring Pillay highlights the essential role of national and international legal frameworks in resolving conflicts nonviolently and sustaining global peace.