Since 1999 the Ibn Rushd Fund has been using a grassroots democracy based process to establish the laureates of the Ibn Rushd Prize:
At the beginning of each year, the members of the Ibn Rushd Fund choose a theme for the prize from amongst a list of themes made by the executive and advisory boards.
After the official notification of the theme in Spring, any interested person can nominate a candidate.
In the meantime the fund chooses an independent and honorary jury comprised of experts in correspondence with the theme.
The 4-5 members of the jury have to come from five Arab countries and include at least two women.
The result and with it the laureate, is drawn from the sum of points given for each of the categories specified by the jury.