The World Justice Project’s Anthony Lewis Prize honors journalists around the world who advance the rule of law.
The 2025 Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism will recognize journalistic courage and craft that strengthens accountability, advances adherence to rule of law principles, and builds awareness of the foundational importance of the rule of law.
Named for Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times legal reporter Anthony Lewis, a friend and inspiration to the World Justice Project, the Lewis Prize celebrates outstanding reporting on rule of law issues, such as:
- Government accountability
- Human and civil rights
- Access to justice
- Open government
- Corruption
- Criminal justice
- Judicial independence
The next winner of the $10,000 prize will be celebrated at World Justice Forum 2025: Standing Up for the Rule of Law, to be held in Warsaw, Poland, June 23-26, 2025.
Enter by March 2, 2025
Anyone can nominate a journalist (or team of journalists) who has demonstrated excellence in rule of law reporting, and self-nominations are welcome. The contest is open to journalists anywhere in the world, but all submissions should be translated into English, if necessary.
Learn more about the criteria, apply, or nominate a remarkable journalist today!
Why Recognize Reporting on the Rule of Law?
Effective rule of law reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. It is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace.
However, over 6 billion people live in countries where the rule of law has weakened since 2016, according to the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, and rising authoritarianism is the main driver of this trend.
Journalists hold powerful interests accountable. They document the human impact of declining freedoms and justice. They bear critical witness to the weakened capacity of courts, independent agencies, and civil society to prevent government overreach, while facing a variety of threats to performing their own essential watchdog function.
Recognizing journalists’ contributions to upholding the rule of law has never been more important.
Read more about the rule of law.
About Anthony Lewis
Anthony Lewis (1927-2013), a friend and inspiration to the World Justice Project, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist credited with transforming legal journalism in the United States. Lewis covered the Supreme Court, the Justice Department, and legal affairs for The New York Times in addition to serving as a columnist as well as the paper’s London bureau chief. He is the author of five books, including Gideon’s Trumpet, which describes James Earl Gideon’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court case concerning the right to legal counsel. Lewis’ reporting on the establishment of the Constitutional Court in post-apartheid South Africa helped inspire the creation of the World Justice Project. He was also an active participant at WJP's first regional meeting in 2007.
Previous Winners
