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    The Liberty Human Rights Awards aim to honour those individuals and organisations dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of others.

    It is an opportunity to give proper recognition to the people who provide essential support, information or inspiration on human rights issues, and to say thank you – not only to those shortlisted, but to all the countless individuals who fight to further protect and extend rights and freedoms for us all.

    Previous winners have included charity workers, campaign groups, lawyers, politicians and individual campaigners – all of whom made a significant contribution on the frontline of human rights issues.

    Human Rights Awards 2011

  • Human Rights Young Person of the Year Award

    Nominees: Cerie Bullivant; Zin Derfoufi; Abigail Stepnitz; Chris Whitehead


    Winner: Cerie Bullivant


    For his inspirational and courageous personal campaign against the unjust control order regime and proposed Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill. Cerie Bullivant was on a control order for two years before it was quashed by the High Court. He has since campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of the dangers of imposing punishment without trial.

  • Human Rights Arts Award, in association with Southbank Centre

    Nominees: David R. Dow (Killing Time: One Man’s Race to Stop an Execution);


    The iceandfire Theatre Company; Penny Woolcock (On the Streets)


    Winner: Penny Woolcock


    For her compassion and commitment to those living and surviving on the margins. Using her talents as a filmmaker to give a voice to ‘the voiceless’, Penny spent eight months on the streets of the capital befriending the homeless, giving them the opportunity to tell their own stories with dignity and humanity. The result is a brutal but moving window into the often complex underlying problems surrounding this issue.

  • Human Rights Lawyer of the Year

    Nominees: Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas Mercer; Fiona Murphy (Bhatt Murphy Solicitors); Hugh Southey QC (Tooks)


    Winner: Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas Mercer

    For integrity and courage in the face of dissembling and denial of human rights abuses by British forces in Iraq. As Commander Legal for British armed forces at the time of the invasion, he tried to ensure that they operated within the rule of law – in relation to the use of hooding, “stress positions” and other inhuman and degrading techniques in breach of the ECHR. Had he been listened to, precious lives, millions of pounds and Britain’s international reputation would have been far better protected.

  • Human Rights ‘Close to Home’ Award

    Nominees: Janet Alder; Davies, Gore & Lomax LLP; Housing Justice, Janis Sharp


    Winner: Janis Sharp


    For her passionate and sustained campaign to protect her son, Gary McKinnon, from facing extradition to the USA. Janis Sharp’s campaign for fairness for her son has touched the hearts of parents everywhere and her determined call for Gary to be tried in the UK has brought the issue of Britain’s unjust extradition arrangements to the attention of politicians, the media and people around the world.

  • Independent Voice of the Year

    Nominees: Joe Plomin, Paul Kenyon & BBC Panorama (for their Undercover Care investigation into abuse in care homes); Peter Oborne; Tom Watson MP


    Winner: Peter Oborne


    For calling to account the most powerful in our country, especially in relation to the shameful history of complicity in torture during the ‘War on Terror’. He has been a consistent voice of reason and integrity in the face of constant misunderstanding, misinformation and misrepresentation surrounding human rights and the Human Rights Act.

  • Lifetime Achievement Award

    John Hendy QC, Old Square Chambers


    In recognition of a career dedicated to defending and upholding the rights of workers and trade unionists in this country.

    Called to the bar in 1972, he was one of the founder members of the Free Representation Unit in that year. He set up and worked full-time as Director of the Newham Rights Centre from 1973-6. He took silk in 1987, having appeared in a number of high profile cases for unions in the 1980s.

    He has been involved in most of the leading industrial action cases over the last 30 years. He acted in three of the most significant cases in the ECtHR concerning Article 11 ECHR (Unison, Wilson & Palmer, ASLEF), which have enhanced and developed the protections afforded to trade unionists. His work on Article 6 ECHR and contractual rights has also extended workers’ protections against dismissal and suspension. His career at the bar and considerable additional advocacy demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to both individual justice and social action.

  • Human Rights ‘Long Walk’ Award

    Winner: Private Eye


    For keeping the powerful on their toes and the public informed and entertained. Satire plays an essential role in a democratic society and hypocrisy is the enemy of human rights. Private Eye has, for fifty years, held the mighty to account with wit and wisdom and reminded us all that a hard look in the mirror shows that there’s always room for improvement.

    Winner: Tony Bunyan & Statewatch

    For dedication to openness, democracy and informed debate about European institutions, keeping us reliably informed and suitably engaged for the last 20 years. Their network of independent volunteers has become one of the most respected and reliable sources of investigative journalism and critical research in the fields of the state, justice, home affairs and civil liberties in the European Union.

  • A tribute to the people of Norway, in honour of the victims of 22 July 2011 and the dignity and humanity of Norway’s response to that atrocity.

This year we felt very strongly that we could not let our annual appreciation of human rights pass without paying tribute to the people of Norway.

On 22 July 2011 they suffered a horrendous attack on their lives, culture and values. Their response was humbling. The determination not to give in to fear but to stand together and protect the fundamental values of an open society continues to inspire us. On behalf of like-minded people everywhere, Liberty wishes to express sympathy and solidarity alongside our incredible respect for the example they have set the world about how great democracies might respond to terrible atrocities.

In honour of the victims of 22 July and all they held dear, we pay tribute to the compassion, dignity and humanity of the Norwegian people.

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