The Commonwealth Lawyers Association and LexisNexis have announced that Guyanese attorney Melinda Janki is the recipient of the 6th Commonwealth Law Conference Rule of Law Award 2023.
A release from the association says that the award recognises the “outstanding contribution of an individual or organisation to furthering the rule of law”.’
Janki is being honoured for her “sustained and resolute efforts to promote the rule of law within her home jurisdiction of Guyana and on the international stage”.
Janki is an international lawyer of over 30 years standing.
The release said that her human rights work includes advising the West Papuan peoples on their right to self-determination under international law, defending the rights of the LGBTIQ community and opposing the death penalty.
The release added that Janki was nominated for her “outstanding work in Guyana to confront the greatest threat to the rule of law internationally, i.e. human-made climate breakdown that is already causing such devastation in Commonwealth countries”.
Janki was one of more than 250 legal professionals to sign an open letter in September which warned that: “We, the undersigned members of the legal profession, support the contents of this letter in the light of substantial evidence that breaching the 1.5 degrees C temperature goal established by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change risks mass loss of life and threatens the conditions for a stable civilisation, including the rule of law”.
The release said that Janki’s legal work, challenging ExxonMobil’s proposals to exploit vast reserves of oil off the coast of Guyana which are inconsistent with that limit, put this statement into practice.
It was noted that Janki has filed six cases on behalf of public interest litigants, representing a cross section of Guyana’s society including activists, retired professionals, a dean of the University of Guyana, a lecturer, a student, and indigenous Wapichan youth.
“We believe that Ms Janki’s commitment and courage to make a difference makes her a worthy recipient of this prestigious award”, the release added.
The award ceremony will take place at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Law Conference 2023 in Goa on 9th March, and the trophy will be presented by the CLA President Peter Maynard KC and Nigel Roberts, VP Global Associations at LexisNexis.
