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Well, Chris Sedoti is a human rights lawyer who served together with Na'vi PLI on the United Nations Independent International Commission of the Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory. He joins me now live from Sydney. Chris, thanks very much for your time this evening. Can I get your initial thoughts, your initial reaction to Na'vi PI's new title as a Nobel Peace Prize recipient? I doubt there has ever been a Nobel Peace Prize recipient more deserving of it than Na'vi. uh she throughout her life has worked for human rights for justice and for peace. She's done it through the law, through international
law. Uh but starting as a very young lawyer, working against the aparate system and the apartate regime in South Africa, uh representing as a young lawyer some of the most uh significant activists against aparate before the South African courts and then of course after the uh the collapse of apartate she went on to the courts herself. So from her earliest days, Na'vi Ple has been a fearless advocate for justice, for peace, and for human rights. And I can't imagine today a more deserving recipient of this prize, Chris, what was she like to uh to work with? What are some of the qualities that stood out to you?
The qualities, money, that you heard in her comments then. She's got an extraordinary sense of humor. Uh she's extremely down to earth. She's not um up in the clouds. uh she has no ego content in the work that she does but an extraordinary legal mind. She is focused very much um on finding the facts and applying the law. This is just the traditional legal methodology and um Nutty is highly skilled in it. She's done that throughout her life. But she's a modest unassuming u lovely person and very funny to be working with. She really did hold that room with her comments after the win with so much gravity and even a bit of levity as well
despite being in such serious circles. What kind of effect does that have in a profession like that? I think it increases the regard for the quality of the work that she does and it adds seriousness um weight to the findings of her investigations. That's always been the case. It's she's not running a political agenda. She never has. She is entirely focused on the law. And as an unassuming uh dedicated, highly committed, but extraordinarily intelligent person, what she does has always carried weight, whether it's in the courts in South Africa in the apartate period um or as high commissioner for human rights or in international criminal tribunals or as chair of our commission of inquiry on Palestine and Israel. what she has done
has been extraordinary work throughout her 85 years. She's served on so many different committees and panels and in such a long list of roles. Is there a way to even measure how much of a difference she has made during her time? Um it is very difficult to measure any achievements in human rights and I think as the Nobel committee itself said in announcing the award today, international law is under very severe strain. at this stage and I think that um any international lawyers and particularly Na'vi would be feeling very keenly the attacks that have been taking place against international mechanisms like the international criminal court and against international law itself. And yet the law is as highly developed
as it is and as effective as it is in so many circumstances because of the work of Na'vi and others like her. Uh but even at 85 she's not giving up. She's in Nuremberg because she has been involved in the Nuremberg Academy for a very long time. Um she was president of it at one stage uh looking at the application of international law in international standards. So she is committed today at the age of 85 as she's ever been. The her commitment is amazing. It's it really is astonishing. The Nobel Committee was sending quite a clear message as you mentioned there about how international law is in a state of tremendous pressure at the moment. Are the relevant people likely to take
notice of this wind and the message that it carries? Well, some of those that are responsible for the attacks on international law will not take notice of anything. Um, in fact, I can think of one um particular person who is very influential who's been attacking international law consistently for the last two years who will be very jealous that Na'Vi has got the Nobel Peace Prize and is likely to intensify his attacks for that reason. But people who know, people who are committed to the law u will be greatly encouraged that Na'vi Ple, one of the greatest exponents of the international legal system has been recognized in this way. The award to her is very much a personal award because of her own
achievement, but it also reflects the Nobel Committee's commitment to supporting bolstering international law at this time of stress. Human rights lawyer Chris Sedoti joining us there. Thank you so much for your time. Thanks, Manny. Good to talk.
