The University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Law at Allard Hall has launched one of the world’s largest prizes dedicated to the international fight against corruption and protecting human rights.
The $100,000 prize will be awarded every two years to an individual, movement or organization that has shown exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“This prize provides a unique opportunity for individuals and organizations to be recognized for their efforts in advocating for justice,” says UBC Law Dean Mary Anne Bobinski. “Whether your work has inspired change in public policy or brought instances of injustice to the forefront, we encourage people from all over the world to nominate either themselves or others for this significant prize.”
The Allard Prize for International Integrity was created by Peter A. Allard, a UBC alumnus, as part of his 2011 gift of $11.86 million to UBC’s Faculty of Law, the largest gift in the Faculty’s history, which supported the creation of the Faculty’s new home, Allard Hall. Throughout his career as a lawyer and businessman, Allard has assumed leadership roles in human rights, environmental advocacy and other philanthropic work.
“I endowed this prize to recognize and support the fight against corruption, and the need to protect basic human rights through transparency, accountability and an equitable and responsive legal system,” says Allard. “Law schools play a crucial role in shaping future lawyers’ ethical standards and this prize will help to further the Faculty of Law’s leadership as a global centre for integrity and legal ethics.”
Nominations for the inaugural prize are now open at www.allardprize.org, and will remain so until the deadline of January 11, 2013. The selection process will occur in the spring of 2013, and the inaugural prize is scheduled to be awarded in September 2013. Additional prizes may also be awarded.
Learn more at www.allardprize.org.
Backgrounder
Full statement from Peter Allard:
“Corruption and abuse of power are a way of life all over the world,” says Allard. “In some cases, the democratic checks and balances put in place after The Great Depression and The Second World War have been hijacked in favour of the highest bidders, at great cost to our economic well-being and with the loss of personal liberties.
“Lawyers have significant influence in the shaping, drafting and enforcement of policies and legislation that protect these critical checks and balances necessary for a healthy society. And law schools have an important role in shaping future lawyers and nurturing a commitment to the highest ethical standards in everything they do. I’ve endowed this Prize to help the Faculty of Law at UBC become a beacon of international integrity, and to tell the stories of those who exemplify the best in the fight against corruption by protecting basic human rights through transparency, accountability and an equitable and responsive legal system.”
About UBC Law at Allard Hall
UBC’s Faculty of Law at Allard Hall, located in Vancouver, Canada, is one of the world’s leading legal education and research centres. Its faculty engages in research with national and global reach and provides students with some of the most extensive and innovative curricular opportunities of any Canadian law school. The law school offers strengths in many fields, including business law, international law, environmental and natural resources law, and Indigenous legal issues. Graduates have gone on to leadership positions in a broad range of spheres, from the legal profession, to government, public interest organizations, business and academia. www.law.ubc.ca
About Peter A. Allard, QC
Peter Allard graduated from UBC with a B.A. in History in 1968, and a LL.B. in 1971. After graduation, Allard practiced law and participated in various business enterprises. In 1993, he established the Highbury Foundation, which has assisted medical communities in B.C. and Alberta with support for research and the purchase of medical equipment. The Highbury Foundation has also made significant donations to colleges and universities across Western Canada for scholarships and building needs. In 2011, Mr. Allard donated $11.86 million to the UBC Faculty of Law to support the Faculty’s new building and several other initiatives, including the Allard Prize for International Integrity.