The award was presented by the university’s President, Professor Dr. Luke Wood, and the Director of the Center, Professor Dr. Ernest Uwazie. Past recipients of the award include Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.
In his acceptance speech, Chief Justice Jallow expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying:
“This award is a tribute not just to me, but to all those who contributed in different ways my family, friends, professional colleagues, and the communities affected. The struggle for peace and justice is a continuous and never-ending one. We must all walk the journey for justice, alone and together, to enable us to travel far and fast.”
He thus emphasised the essential link between justice and peace.
“Justice is the strongest foundation for peace. We must strengthen that foundation with respect for the rule of law, human rights, judicial independence, and democratic principles. There can be no lasting peace without justice, and no sustainable progress without peace. We must all work together to make our nations communities of justice, peace, and progress.”
Chief Justice Jallow also participated in a university conference on restorative justice, where he presented a paper examining The Gambia’s experience, as well as insights from broader African and United Nations contexts.
His distinguished career spans national and international legal arenas. He currently serves as Chief Justice of The Gambia and previously held positions as Attorney General and Minister of Justice (1984–1994), and Justice of the Supreme Court (1998–2002). He is the current Chief Justice of The Gambia – a portfolio he holds since 2017.
Internationally, he served as Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) 2003 to 2015 and chief prosecutor of UN Joint Rwanda Yogoslav Tribunal concurrently from 2012 to 2016. Prosecutor for the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), and UN Under-Secretary-General (2012–2016). His judicial work extended to the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Justice Jallow has advised the UN, the African Union, and the Commonwealth on legal issues, and is a published author of several works including Journey for Justice and Prosecuting International Crimes: Recollections and Reflections.
