Bonavero Institute mourns Professor Monroe E Price

It is with great sadness that the Bonavero Institute has learned of the passing of Professor Monroe E Price on 16 March 2026 at the age of 87.  

Professor Price founded the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP) at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, where the Monroe E Price Media Law Moot Court Competition was established. The competition, named in his honour in recognition of his lifelong devotion and outstanding contributions to the development of media freedom and the rule of law, has been hosted by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights since 2017.  

During a long and distinguished career, Professor Price made significant academic and legal contributions to the fields of civil rights law, media law, and communications studies. His academic posts included Director of the Center for Global Communication Studies (CGCS) at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, Director of the Howard M. Squadron Program in Law, Media and Society at the Cardozo School of Law, Director of the Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research in London, and Chair of the Center for Media and Communication Studies of the Central European University in Budapest.  

A personal message from the Monroe E Price Media Law Moot Court Competition team:

“It is difficult to imagine a world in which the Monroe E Price Media Law Moot Court Competition will take place without Monroe. Participants, coaches, and judges at both the International and Regional Rounds over the years will know that Monroe made every effort to be present and fully immersed in the competition — both as a judge and behind the scenes. Monroe loved the competition. He often described the competition as an embodiment of his personal and professional commitment to freedom of expression and his deep commitment to internationalism.  

Monroe believed that the competition filled a gap in legal education by creating space for students to learn about media law including in rapidly evolving contexts of technological developments. This continues to hold true almost twenty years after the competition was first established.

We extend our condolences to his family as well as everyone who has known Monroe over the years. He will be deeply missed.”