The Alliance for Lawyers at Risk is pleased to announce that the Sir Henry Brooke Award 2026 will be presented at a ceremony in London on 10 March 2026.
Attendees will have the privilege of hearing an address from Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls, who will serve as the principal speaker at the ceremony.
Recipient of the Sir Henry Brooke Award 2026
The Alliance is proud to recognise Ms Ruth López as the recipient of the 2026 Sir Henry Brooke Award.
Ms López is an outstanding human rights lawyer from El Salvador, most recently serving as head of the anti-corruption unit at the NGO Cristosal. Previously, Ms López acted as a legal advisor to public institutions. Throughout her distinguished career, Ms López has been at the forefront of exposing corruption, defending access to justice for migrants, and documenting the erosion of democratic institutions in El Salvador. Regrettably, Ms López is currently in custody, having been arrested in May 2025, and has been denied effective access to legal representation.
Ms López was nominated by the Observatory for Lawyers at Risk, an organisation established by the French, Italian, and Spanish Bars.
About the Award
Named in memory of Sir Henry Brooke – founder of the Alliance and a tireless advocate for justice and equality – the award honours legal practitioners and human rights defenders who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law, often in the face of great adversity and at significant personal risk.
Past recipients include Virginia Laparra, Adil José Meléndez Marquez, Donald Hernandez and Dina Meza, along with many others whose work has had a profound impact on the field of human rights.
Selection Process
Ms López was selected from an extraordinary field of candidates, including distinguished advocates and human rights defenders from Brazil, China, Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The independent selection panel, comprising Prof Christine Chinkin (chair), Lord Dyson, Sir Patrick Elias, Maya Lester KC, and Lizzette Robleto de Howarth, was particularly impressed by Ms López’s longstanding efforts to combat corruption and organised crime in El Salvador, as well as her unwavering dedication to promoting institutional transparency and upholding the rule of law at great personal cost.
The committee has addressed the nominations based on the following criteria:
- The nature of the nominee’s work in defending fundamental freedoms and promoting human rights and the rule of law.
- The impact of their work on marginalised or vulnerable groups.
- How they have overcome challenges in pursuing their human rights work.
- The broader impact of their efforts, locally or globally.
- How well the nominee embodies Sir Henry Brooke’s values: justice, equality, and human rights.
The Alliance is grateful for your support in recognising and supporting those who risk so much to defend human rights and the rule of law. For any enquiries, please contact us at admin@lawyersatrisk.org.