Bhuwan Ribhu is First Indian Lawyer to be honoured by World Jurist Association; Leads Child Rights Work in Madhya Pradesh

• Bhuwan Ribhu is also the founder of Just Rights for Children – the world’s largest legal intervention network for child protection, with its growing global footprint
• Just Rights for Children’s 13 NGO partners work in 41 districts of Madhya Pradesh for child protection and child rights
• The World Jurist Association is the world’s oldest and most influential network of judges, lawyers, and legal scholars

Bhopal, 6th May 2025: Marking a significant milestone for India in the global legal arena, eminent child rights lawyer Bhuwan Ribhu has become the first Indian lawyer to be conferred with the ‘Medal of Honour’ by the World Jurist Association (WJA) at the World Law Congress. Held from May 4 to May 6 in the Dominican Republic, the event brought together over 1500 legal luminaries and 300 speakers from more than 70 countries. The world’s oldest association of jurists honoured Bhuwan Ribhu for his pioneering work of over two decades, using legal interventions and grassroots mobilisation to advance child protection and child rights.

Since its establishment in 1963, the World Jurist Association has honoured iconic figures such as Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, King Felipe VI of Spain, René Cassin, and Kerry Kennedy for their contributions to justice and the rule of law. Bhuwan Ribhu has, in the last 20 years, has filed and led 60 PILs for child protection and child rights which resulted in landmark rulings in the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts. He is also the founder of Just Rights for Children (JRC)—the world’s largest legal intervention network for child protection—with its presence globally. There are 13 NGO partners of JRC working for child protection in 41 districts of Madhya Pradesh and to end child marriage by 2030. The situation of child marriage prevalence is grim in the state with 23.1 percent as per the National Family Health Survey V (2019-21).

During his acceptance speech, Bhuwan Ribhu said, “Children should never have to fight for justice alone. The law must be their shield, and justice must be their right.” He received the ‘Medal of Honour’ by Eddy Olivares Ortega, Hon’ble Minister of Labor of Dominican Republic, and Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association. Also present on the occasion was Hon’ble Minister of Women of the Dominican Republic Mayra Jiménez.

Lauding Bhuwan Ribhu’s work and achievements over the years, Javier Cremades, President of the WJA, stated, “Bhuwan firmly believes that justice is the strongest pillar of democracy and has dedicated his life to the service of justice for children and women who are victims of sexual crimes in his country and globally. His efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of children and women and set legal frameworks that will protect generations to come. This award is a recognition of his tireless work building a safe, more just world for children through the power of the law.”

With over two decades of advocacy and legal intervention, Bhuwan Ribhu is a driving force behind the transformation of India’s child protection ecosystem. He has led legal campaigns and on-ground actions combatting child marriage, trafficking, child labour, and child sexual abuse. Through his sustained efforts, systemic reforms are now pushing India toward the tipping point to end child marriage by 2030.
Bhuwan Ribhu is the founder of Just Rights for Children (JRC)—the world’s largest legal intervention network for child protection—with a growing global footprint. He is also a leading force behind the global movement to end child marriage by 2030.

Buoyed by this significant achievement, Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, said, “Our founder receiving the Medal of Honour is a landmark moment not just for our network, but for the entire child rights movement in India. It reaffirms that legal intervention is a powerful tool to protect our children and uphold their dignity. This recognition by the World Jurist Association puts the spotlight on the tireless work of thousands of grassroots defenders across India who are part of the Just Rights for Children network. We are proud, and more importantly, we are motivated to continue our mission to make every district safe and just for children.”

A National Mission with Global Impact
As the founder of Just Rights for Children (JRC), Ribhu has catalysed systemic change in how crimes against children are prosecuted and prevented. The network of over 250 organisations has become a powerful force in ensuring that no child in India is left unprotected.
The 60 PILs filed and led by him have resulted in landmark rulings in the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts. A 2011 case argued by him led the Supreme Court to define trafficking in line with the UN Protocol. In 2013, his legal campaign spotlighted India’s missing children crisis, resulting in a historic judgment.

Bhuwan Ribhu has also driven major legal and policy reforms to combat both online and offline child sexual exploitation, including the downloading and viewing of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM). He has also worked to end impunity for child rape and played a key role in shaping India’s legal roadmap to end child marriage.

The PICKET strategy outlined in his book When Children Have Children to end child marriage was endorsed by the Supreme Court in its guidelines issued in 2024.