Commitment to “Justice and Peace”: Lawyer Sands receives Peace Prize from the German Book Trade

Sands is committed to “justice, peace and the persistent defense of international law,” said Exchange Association Chairman Sebastian Guggolz, Chairman of the Foundation Board. “The descendant of Holocaust survivors shows, based on their own family history, how this right came about and what experiences lie behind the crimes of ‘genocide’ and ‘crimes against humanity’.”

25,000 euros in prize money

The award is endowed with 25,000 euros. It honors personalities who have contributed to the realization of the idea of ​​peace in literature, science or art.

The German Book Trade Association – the professional organization of publishers and bookstores – has been awarding the prize since 1950. The award is traditionally presented at the end of the Frankfurt Book Fair – this year on October 11th.

Work at the International Criminal Court

Sands was born in London in 1960. He is Professor of International Law at University College London and Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School. He works at the International Court of Justice in The Hague and has been involved in important international law cases.

Among other things, he campaigned for Palestinians and Rohingya. With other lawyers, he developed the concept of “ecocide” for catastrophes caused by global warming.

Biography and international law

In addition to publishing legal literature, Philippe Sands also works as a literary non-fiction author. According to the board of trustees, his approach lies “beyond the usual boundaries between non-fiction, literary narrative and reportage: he combines personal life stories with the big questions of international law.

In “Return to Lemberg” and “The Rat Line” he writes against forgetting. Two criminal cases in which he was involved at the International Court of Justice form the basis for “The Last Colony” and “The Disappeared of Londres 38”.