Pretoria - The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, will be honouring Professor Ann Skelton with an honorary Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa in recognition of her excellent leadership as a global figure in international children’s rights and with an established track record in both research and legal practice.
Skelton is the current chairperson of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. She is also a professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Private Law at the Faculty of Law, and holds the Unesco Chair in Education Law in Africa.
“It is a fantastic honour to receive this doctorate from the University of Strathclyde, which prides itself on being an environment of useful learning. As my career has always been a mix of practice and academia, the idea that education should result in social change is important to me,” Skelton said.
She added that it was extra special to be recognised for work that actually helped to improve children’s lives.
The University of Strathclyde prides itself on being a place of useful learning and on its commitment to using research and education to improve societies.
Skelton’s hard work and dedication reflect this ethos.
For more than 25 years, Skelton has worked as a human rights lawyer, specialising in the protection of children’s legal rights. She was instrumental in several important court cases, especially those involving education, and she has a significant publication history, both locally and internationally.
In 2021 she played a significant role in the historic decision on carbon emissions that was made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. At the time, it was decided that a state may be held liable for the detrimental effect of its carbon emissions on children’s rights both inside and outside of its territory.
This decision was made in accordance with a ruling that was made at the time.
Skelton is a well-known champion for children’s rights, and when she was earlier this year elected to chair the UN committee on the rights of the child, she said it was an honour and a great responsibility. This is the foremost children’s protection body in the world.
Skelton’s new role will see her actively participating in holding states accountable for failures to protect the rights of children globally.
Skelton earlier said she was extremely excited to be part of making life a bit easier for children globally.
She said that more children were living in poverty, and this affected many of their rights.
“At the same time, there is a pushback on children’s rights in some parts of the world, because it is seen as threatening family values. So the Committee on the Rights of the Child has serious work to do in calling states to account.”
She has also played a leading role in child law reform over the years in South Africa, and has argued many landmark cases in the Constitutional Court.
One of her biggest attributes in fighting for the vulnerable is that she is not afraid to call out injustice when she sees it, as she has proven.
The Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria, meanwhile, congratulated Skelton on receiving this honorary doctorate.
Pretoria News