O'Connor Justice Prize

The O'Connor Justice Prize, named for former United States Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor, was established in 2014 to raise visibility for rule-of-law initiatives; recognize people who have made extraordinary contributions to advancing the rule of law, justice, and human rights; and to honor O'Connor's legacy.^[1]

A group led by former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Ruth McGregor,^[2] who served as a law clerk for O'Connor from 1981 to 1982,^[3] developed the prize to honor O'Connor's legacy. The prize is administered by the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.^[4]

Honorees

• 2014: Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, United Nations high commissioner for human rights^[5]
• 2016: Ana Palacio, member of the Council of State of Spain and former senior vice president and general counsel of the World Bank Group^[6]
• 2017: Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States^[7]
• 2018: Anson Chan, former chief secretary for administration for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region^[8]
• 2019: F. W. de Klerk, former president of South Africa^[9]
• 2020: Nadia Murad, Yazidi human rights activist^[10]
• 2021: Elizabeth Odio Benito, former president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights^[11]
• 2023: Louise Arbour, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights and former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada^[12]
• 2024: Rangina Hamidi, former minister of education of Afghanistan^[13]