Chief Justice Raymond Zondo Honored with Prestigious WJP Rule of Law Award for Anti-Corruption Efforts

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo Honored with Prestigious WJP Rule of Law Award for Anti-Corruption Efforts

WARSAW, Poland – June 24, 2025 – Former South African Chief Justice Raymond Zondo was awarded the prestigious World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Award in recognition of his unwavering commitment to justice and his courageous efforts in exposing systemic corruption. The award was presented by WJP Board Vice President Judy Perry Martinez at the 2025 World Justice Forum, a global gathering of rule of law champions. Polish Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar, a prior recipient of the award in 2019, made accompanying remarks. 

The WJP Rule of Law Award honors individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary contributions to strengthening the rule of law in exemplary ways. 

Chief Justice Zondo was celebrated for his decades-long legal career, and particularly for his leadership of the State Capture Commission, which set a new standard for public accountability in South Africa by bravely exposing deep-rooted public corruption. His tenure as Chief Justice from 2022 to 2024 was marked by a strong defense of judicial independence, reforms to improve court efficiency, and restore public trust in the judiciary. 

Upon receiving the award, Justice Zondo warned that “South Africa must not go back to State capture, because State capture is the antithesis to the Rule of Law.” 

For his part Adam Bodnar said that “I remember that when we were getting through the period of transformation in Poland, South Africa was an inspiration to us.” 

In the course of his career, Chief Justice Zondo has authored over 200 judgements, reformed public institutions, and made lasting legal impact for millions of South Africans. He joined the Constitutional Court in 2012, and in that same year passed a landmark judgement preventing extradition to countries with death penalties, declaring that South Africa’s constitutional protection of human dignity and life extends to all persons within its borders, regardless of citizenship. 

Chief Justice Zondo's most notable contribution to the rule of law is his leadership of the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, initiated in 2018 amid widespread corruption allegations in South Africa. Despite immense pressure, he diligently guided the commission through over 400 days of hearings, gathering testimony from more than 300 witnesses and reviewing over 1.7 million pages of evidence. The live broadcast proceedings educated the public on the extent of the wrongdoing and reinforced accountability for those in power. The commission's final reports, delivered in 2022, lead to the pursuit of those implicated and the introduction of new laws, like a strengthened public procurement act, to prevent future state capture. 

This year's award aligns with the theme of the 2025 World Justice Forum, “Standing Up for the Rule of Law,” which seeks to confront the global rise of authoritarianism by promoting checks on government power and ensuring all are bound by the law. The Forum's discussions delve into the erosion of democratic institutions and the essential role of civil society, independent justice systems, and other countervailing institutions in holding power accountable. 

Chief Justice Zondo’s legacy continues to inspire global efforts to build more transparent and equitable societies. He is joining a distinguished group of past Rule of Law Award recipients, including the Rede Wayuri, a communications collective providing a voice for the Amazon’s Indigenous peoples (2022), Poland’s then-Commissioner for Human Rights, now Justice Minister, Adam Bodnar (2019), President Jimmy Carter (2017), the global anti-poverty organization BRAC (2013), and Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi (2013). 

The World Justice Forum has convened prominent international figures to address the most pressing challenges to justice and human rights in Warsaw, Poland this June. Notable speakers include Maria Ressa: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and CEO of Rappler and Anne Applebaum: Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Atlantic columnist. 

About the World Justice Project: The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide. 

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Media Contact: 
Natalia Jardon 
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