On 4 February 2008, Professor John Braithawaite was presented with an Honorary Doctorate by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, at a ceremony in Belgium.

Every year, K.U.Leuven confers honorary doctorates upon persons of exceptional academic, social, or cultural merit. For 2008, the Academic Board chose the theme ‘Environment, Environmental Policy, and Sustainable Development.’ At the Patron's Feast of the K.U.Leuven on February 4, 2008, John Braithwaite, along with the Dutch professor of epidemiology, Bert Brunekreef, and the French professor of marine biology, Daniël Pauly, were distingushed with honorary doctorates.