Photo credit: University of Essex

It is with profound sadness that I share the news that Professor Sir Nigel Rodley KBE, has passed away.   Fellow IntLawGrrls who were in the Lawyers Network of Amnesty International will remember first working with him in the 1980s when he headed the AI Legal Office.  He spearheaded developments in addressing torture, the rights of prisoners, international human rights standards and  mechanisms, and so much more.

Early on we tussled over the role of international law in addressing violence against women by non-state actors, but when it came time to file an amicus brief on the subject with the US Supreme Court in Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales, he immediately agreed to lend his name and sign on.  He was generous with his time with NGO colleagues and students alike.  He also had a good-natured way of sharing his impressions.  Once he became a member of the UN Human Rights Committee I asked him how it was going. He replied that it was quite different working in a committee setting, and said with a twinkle in his eye: “I miss being a Special Procedure”.

The University of Essex has created a page where tributes may be shared.