British Lawyer Dapo Akande Elected to UN Top Court in Major Diplomatic Win for the UK

British lawyer Dapo Akande has been elected as a judge of the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ), in a major British diplomatic victory that comes almost 10 years after a previous British judge failed to be re-elected.

Akande will now serve as one of the ICJ’s 15 judges for a minimum nine-year term.

Professor Akande originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria. He is now one of the UK’s top international lawyers, a professor of public international law and a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, as well as an elected member of the UN International Law Commission. He has acted as counsel, adviser and expert in cases before international courts and tribunals, including the ICJ.

After his election, Akande said he was deeply honoured to be elected to the International Court of Justice and incredibly grateful to all the states that had put their faith in him. He pledged to serve with independence and to decide cases on the basis of a faithful and impartial application of the law, and said he looked forward to contributing to the ICJ’s vital work of helping to resolve disputes by peaceful means, alongside the other colleagues elected today.

In 2017, Sir Christopher Greenwood unexpectedly lost his seat to his Indian rival, leaving Britain soul-searching about its standing at the UN and its record of compliance with ICJ advisory opinions. It was the first time there had been no British judge on the court.

The ICJ, sometimes described as the UN’s top court, deals with disputes between states. It has recently drawn global attention through a series of opinions on Israel’s failure, as an occupying power, to fulfil its responsibilities to the population of Gaza.

In a separate vote at the UN General Assembly in 2016, the UK was defeated 94-15 when a Mauritian-backed resolution questioning the disputed legal status of the UK’s hold over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean was referred to the ICJ. The ICJ later found for Mauritius, and the current Labour government then reached a deal completing negotiations begun under the Conservative government. The legal process to complete the deal in the UK parliament is stalled because of objections from the Trump administration.

The UK Lord Chancellor, Alex Norris, campaigned hard for Akande. He said that at a moment when international law is under pressure, Professor Akande brings the independence, legal rigour, judgment and breadth of perspective the court needs, and would make a formidable contribution to its work.

Norris said the UK has been a steadfast supporter of the court, has accepted its compulsory jurisdiction, and again encourages states that have not yet done so to consider accepting the court’s jurisdiction in accordance with its statute.