Nobel Peace Prize winner aims cheeky joke at Donald Trump after accepting award

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The award went to 85-year-old Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, a South African former international judge and ally of Nelson Mandela in fighting apartheid.

Pillay was recognised for her efforts to promote peace and international law, serving as a judge for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and an advocate for women's rights.

Navi Pillay. Image: Getty.

The committee said: “A common thread runs from her early work ⁠defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood ​up against ‌apartheid to ‌her service as a judge in some ‌of the key international court cases of our time.

“At a time when the number of wars and conflicts is rising, and when judges and institutions of international law are under political attack, the Nobel committee wishes to issue a reminder that the ability to resolve conflicts without force or violence is dependent on the international rule of law.

“An international legal system in which war criminals are held to account and the victims of abuse see justice served is a precondition for a peaceful world.”

A cheeky joke aimed at Trump

Upon being awarded the prize, Nally said "it must be a joke" in her acceptance speech, "your applause means everything to me".

"But, being a lawyer and judge, I still want to verify this thing," she added.

She then quipped: "If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump."

This, of course, references last year's winner María Corina Machado giving her medal to the US president, although officially the prize cannot be transferred.

What Trump has said about the Nobel Peace Prize

Last year, US President Donald Trump repeatedly said he “earned” the award, as he made no secret of the fact that he has long sought the prestigious award.

During his UN speech in September of last year, Trump claimed to have “ended seven un-endable wars”, since his second term in office.

Maria Corina Machado, prominent leader of the opposition to the administrations of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, last year won the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting the democratic rights of the people of Venezuela.

While she gave her Nobel medal to Trump as a gesture, the Nobel Committee said the honour cannot be transferred.

How the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded

The criteria for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, which is one of five Nobel Prizes established by wealthy industrialist Alfred Nobel in his will, are vague.

It is a five-member committee who makes the decision, and it is the Norwegian Parliament that appoints them.

The winner is announced in October each year, while nominations close in January of the year that the prize is awarded.