Norwegian-born Joly was awarded the prize "for her tireless and fearless work against a culture of greediness" that results in social and environmental problems, the Sophie foundation said in a statement.

Joly, who worked previously as an investigative magistrate, "is a strong critic of an economic system that creates social and environmental problems, but moves beyond mere criticism in proposing solutions and seeking arenas where her lifelong experiences and ideas can be moulded into real politics," the foundation said.

The prize, worth $100,000 dollars, was established in 1997 by Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder who wrote the novel 'Sophie's World'.

Joly is currently trailing in the polls where she has been scoring between one and three percent in voter support.