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Attorney From Malaysia Wins International Justice Prize

Peter Gruber Foundation Honors Param Cumaraswamy

ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.I., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- In his native Malaysia and in international hot spots, at considerable risk to himself, Param Cumaraswamy has stood up for human dignity and the independence of the judiciary. His courage has garnered world respect and this year earned him the Peter Gruber Foundation's Justice Prize.

He will receive the Foundation's $200,000 award and gold medal in September at Columbia University Law School in New York.

Cumaraswamy, 64, has served in several offices of the Bar Council of Malaysia and was a founding member of its Human Rights Committee and Legal Aid Committee. He also was chairman of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Committee. In 1994, the UN Commission on Human Rights appointed him Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers. His outspoken defense of human rights and judicial independence has drawn considerable political fire.

In 1985, he was charged with sedition for urging the Kuala Lumpur Pardons Board not to discriminate against a poor laborer. His acquittal was hailed as a landmark victory for freedom of expression. Later his defense of Supreme Court judges under attack from executive powers earned him the title "Dato."

Despite such favorable recognition at home and prestigious appointments abroad, Cumaraswamy was the victim of intimidation and harassment, including a protracted defamation action for comments about outside influence on the Malaysian judiciary. The suit forced him to resign from his law firm before it finally was withdrawn.

Members of the distinguished Advisory Board that selected Cumaraswamy for the Prize are: Honorable Rosalie Silberman Abella, Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and Justice Prize laureate; Dennis Archer, Esq., immediate past president of the American Bar Association; Honorable Christine Chanet, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations; Sir Anthony Gubbay, former Chief Justice of Zimbabwe and Justice Prize laureate; and Jerome J. Shestack, Esq., former president of the American Bar Association.

The official citation reads:

The 2005 Justice Prize of the Peter Gruber Foundation is hereby proudly presented to Param Cumaraswamy whose voice has been heard around the world for the independence of judges who are the ultimate custodians of the just rule of law that is the foundation for human rights. In a life dedicated to the defense and affirmation of justice, his fearless advocacy for judicial independence has often been at great personal risk and cost. His record serves as a call and as an inspiration to all.

"We are pleased to honor Param Cumaraswamy for standing for justice in his own country and around the world," said Peter Gruber, chairman of the Peter Gruber Foundation.

Previous winners are: retired Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson and current Chief Justice Pius Langa of the Constitutional Court of South Africa (2004); Justice Bertha Wilson, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (2003); Fali Sam Nariman, President of the Bar Association of India (2002); and Sir Anthony Gubbay, former Chief Justice of Zimbabwe, and the Law Society of Zimbabwe (2001).

The Peter Gruber Foundation

The Peter Gruber Foundation was founded in 1993 and established a record of charitable giving principally in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where it is located. It has expanded its focus to a series of international awards recognizing discoveries and achievements that produce fundamental shifts in human knowledge and culture. Further information is available from http://www.petergruberfoundation.org/.

Source: The Peter Gruber Foundation

CONTACT: Bernetia Akin, The Peter Gruber Foundation, +1-340-775-8035

Web site: http://petergruberfoundation.org/