The appointment process concluded on Tuesday after nine candidates competed for five open vacancies, requiring simultaneous absolute majorities without the use of Security Council vetoes. Alongside colleagues from France, Singapore, Jordan, and Kenya, he will begin his formal duties on 6 February 2027. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband commended the decision, noting its alignment with the nation's legal commitments. During his tenure, the court is expected to handle major international disputes, including South Africa's genocide case against Israel.
Key points
The election ends an absence of British judges on the United Nations' highest court that…: The election ends an absence of British judges on the United Nations' highest court that persisted since 2018.
Akande will sit on the bench as the court addresses South Africa's ongoing genocide case…: Akande will sit on the bench as the court addresses South Africa's ongoing genocide case against Israel concerning Gaza.
The incoming judge previously argued in Myanmar proceedings that genocidal intent must be…: The incoming judge previously argued in Myanmar proceedings that genocidal intent must be inferred from the totality of evidence.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
British international lawyer Dapo Akande has been elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), restoring a British presence on the United Nations’ highest court after almost a decade.
Akande was elected on Tuesday alongside France’s Francois Alabrune, Singapore’s Rena Lee, Jordan’s Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud and Kenya’s Phoebe Okowa. Nine candidates contested the five seats.
Their nine-year terms begin on 6 February 2027. Hmoud and Okowa, already serving after elections to fill vacancies, secured full terms.
As a lawyer and scholar, Akande has helped advance arguments on proving genocide and the illegality of annexing Palestinian territory, and he is expected to sit on the bench as the court decides on the ongoing case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza.
Akande, Oxford’s Chichele Professor of Public International Law and a member of the UN International Law Commission, will become the first British judge on the court since 2018.
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