The Deputy Prosecutor and Head of Prosecution Division at the International Criminal Court, Gambian born Mrs. Fatou Bensouda has been presented with the prestigious International Jurists Award for 2009. This award is for Mrs. Bensouda's sterling contribution in the field of criminal law at national as well as international level. It was presented to her by the President of India Honourable Pratiba Devisingh Patil at an international conference held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference was organised by the International Conference of Jurists along with All India Bar Association and India Council of Jurists from the 21st to the 22nd of November 2009.
The ceremony attracted international judges, law ministers, parliamentarians, bar leaders, chief executive officers of multinational companies and law firms, beaureaucrats, representatives from banking and financial institutions, journalists, artists and social activitists from India and abroad.
The International Jurists Award has previously been conferred on Lord Philips of England and Wales, the President of the International Court of Justice, the President of the International Bar Association and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, among others.