World News
Dapo Akande elected to UN International Court of Justice seat
Britain returns to the court after a gap since 2017, and five judges take nine-year terms from February 2027.
The short version
- Dapo Akande, a British lawyer and Oxford professor, was elected to the International Court of Justice for a minimum nine-year term.[Al Jazeera · The Guardian]
- The UN elected five judges after several voting rounds, because the Security Council and General Assembly initially backed different candidates for the final seat.[Al Jazeera]
- Britain had no judge on the court after Sir Christopher Greenwood lost his seat to an Indian rival in 2017.[The Guardian]
- The court reported 24 pending contentious cases, and the new judges' terms begin February 6, 2027.[Al Jazeera]
Key facts
- Dapo Akande was elected to the International Court of Justice as one of its 15 judges for a minimum nine-year term.[Al Jazeera · The Guardian]
- Five judges were elected: Dapo Akande, Francois Alabrune, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, Rena Lee and Phoebe Okowa, with terms set to begin February 6, 2027.[Al Jazeera]
- Akande originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria and is a professor of public international law, a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and a member of the UN International Law Commission.[The Guardian]
- In 2017, Sir Christopher Greenwood lost his ICJ seat to an Indian rival, the first time the court had no British judge.[The Guardian]
- The fifth seat required several voting rounds because the Security Council backed Ecuador's Marcelo Vazquez-Bermudez while the General Assembly backed Phoebe Okowa; Vazquez-Bermudez later withdrew.[Al Jazeera]
- ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa told the General Assembly on October 29 that 24 contentious cases are pending.[Al Jazeera]
- Akande said he is deeply honoured to be elected and pledged to serve with independence and impartial application of the law.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.