Nigerian-born legal scholar Professor Dapo Akande has been elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), securing a nine-year term at the United Nations’ principal judicial body.
The United Kingdom government announced his election on Tuesday, November 3, describing it as a return of a British judge to the court after nearly a decade.
Akande was elected following a campaign supported by the UK government and will serve from 2027 to 2036.
According to the “UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office“, he received support from a majority of UN member states.
Nigerian roots and international legal career
Akande is a professor of public international law at the University of Oxford and a fellow of All Souls College. He is also an elected member of the UN International Law Commission.
The British government said he originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria before building an international career spanning nearly three decades as a legal scholar and practitioner.
He has advised governments across all five United Nations regional groups, as well as international organisations, including the UN and the African Union.
Akande has also acted as counsel, adviser and expert in cases before international courts and tribunals, including the ICJ.
UK returns to the court after nine years
The ICJ, based in The Hague, Netherlands, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It settles legal disputes submitted by states and provides advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised UN bodies and agencies.
The court has 15 judges, elected independently by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms.
The UK had not held a seat on the court since its previous judge, Christopher Greenwood, failed to secure re-election in 2017.
Akande’s election therefore restores the UK’s representation on the court after nine years.
Akande pledges independent service
Following his election, Akande expressed appreciation to the countries that supported his candidacy and pledged to serve independently and impartially.
He said he would approach cases through a faithful application of international law and contribute to resolving disputes peacefully.
Although Akande has Nigerian roots and was originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria, he contested the election as the United Kingdom’s candidate. His appointment is therefore a British seat on the court, rather than a Nigerian representative taking up the position.
