British lawyer Dapo Akande elected to UN top court in big diplomatic win

Akande serving at international court of justice comes a decade after previous British judge failed to get re-elected

A British judge has been elected on to the UN’s international court of justice, in a big British diplomatic victory that comes almost 10 years after a previous British judge failed to get re-elected.

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

Prof Akande originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria and is now one of the UK’s top international lawyers, a professor of public international law and a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and also 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.

He said: “I am deeply honoured to be elected to the international court of justice.

“I am incredibly grateful to all the states that have put their faith in me. I pledge to serve with independence and to deciding cases on the basis of a faithful and impartial application of the law. I look forward to contributing to the ICJ’s vital work in helping to resolve disputes by peaceful means, alongside the other colleagues elected today.”

In 2017, Sir Christopher Greenwood lost his seat to his Indian rival unexpectedly, with Britain left 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 top court, deals with inter state disputes and has recently drawn global attention by a series of opinions in Israel’s failure as an occupying power to fulfil its responsibilities to the population of Gaza.

In a separate vote in 2016 at the UN general assembly 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.

Later the ICJ found for Mauritius and the current Labour government then reached a deal completing negotiations that had been started under the Conservative government. The legal process to complete the deal inside the UK parliament is stalled due to objections from the Trump administration.

The UK lord chancellor Alex Norris has campaigned hard for Akande.

He said: “At a moment when international law is under pressure professor Akande brings the independence, legal rigour, judgment and breadth of perspective that the court needs.

“He would make a formidable contribution to its work.”

He said the UK has been a steadfast supporter of the court: “We have accepted its compulsory jurisdiction. And we again encourage states that have not yet done so to consider accepting the court’s jurisdiction in accordance with its statute.”