Anthony Lewis Prize for Rule of Law Journalism

  • ANTHONY LEWIS JOURNALISM PRIZE

The World Justice Project’s Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism honors journalists around the world who stand up for the rule of law.

READ ABOUT THE 2025 WINNER

The 2025 Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism will recognize journalistic courage and craft that strengthens accountability, advances adherence to rule of law principles, and builds awareness of the foundational importance of the rule of law.

Named for Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times legal reporter Anthony Lewis, a friend and inspiration to the World Justice Project, the Lewis Prize celebrates outstanding reporting on rule of law issues, such as:

  • Government accountability
  • Human and civil rights
  • Access to justice
  • Open government
  • Corruption
  • Criminal justice
  • Judicial independence


In 2025, the World Justice Project awarded the Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism to CamboJA News, one of Cambodia’s last independent media outlets, for its courageous reporting on corruption, human trafficking, and threats to civil justice despite increasing risks to press freedom.

The prize also recognized iStories Media, a Russian investigative newsroom operating in exile, as a runner-up for its work uncovering war crimes and human rights violations.

A special mention was awarded to Ecuadorian journalists Andersson Boscán and Mónica Velásquez for their impactful investigations into organized crime and government corruption.

The winner of the $10,000 prize, CamboJA News, will be honored at World Justice Forum 2025.

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Nozomi Iwama

Deputy Director General, Governance and Peace Building Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Ms. Nozomi Iwama is the Deputy Director General in charge of governance cooperation of JICA, at the Governance and Peace Building Department. Prior to this assignment, she was the Senior Director and Head of Office for Global Issues and Development Partnership, Operations Strategy Department of JICA from February 2021 to February 2024. She was responsible for JICA’s partnership relations and strategic dialogues with development partners. She served as Senior Representative of JICA’s Vietnam Office from 2017 to 2021. Her other previous assignments include Director for Southeast Asia and Pacific Department, Deputy Director of Office of International Affairs of Financial Services Agency of Japan. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development (MPAID) from John F. Kennedy School of　Government of Harvard University.
 

Justice Madan B. Lokur

Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India

Justice Madan B. Lokur is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and the first Indian to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji, where he served until January 2025. He currently serves as Chairperson of the United Nations Internal Justice Council and continues his work as an independent arbitrator and legal commentator. As a Supreme Court Judge, Justice Lokur was known for handling key social justice cases, with his Bench becoming widely known as the “Social Justice» Bench. Justice Lokur has been a strong advocate for judicial reform, access to justice, child rights, and environmental protection. He chaired key committees in the Indian judiciary, including the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee and the E-Committee for court computerization.

Adam Krzywoń

Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland

Adam Krzywoń was appointed as Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland on 1 January 2025. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Constitutional Law at the University of Warsaw. His academic focus includes Polish and comparative constitutional law and the protection of human rights. Additionally, he is a researcher at the German Research Institute for Public Administration (FÖV), where he leads an international research project examining the transformation of public service systems across Europe. Prof. Krzywoń’s professional experience includes, inter alia, working at the Constitutional Tribunal (2007–2008). From 2010 to 2018, he was a secretary and member of the Prime Minister’s Legislative Council