The International Court of Justice (ICJ) located in The Hague recently announced the appointment of a new President, Judge Nawaf Salam. Hailing from Lebanon, Judge Salam joined the prestigious court on the 6th of February, 2018. Prior to his appointment as President of the court, he was even considered, albeit briefly, for the position of President of Lebanon.
Accompanying Judge Salam in the higher echelons of the court is Judge Julia Sebutinde from Uganda, who is set to assume the role of Vice-President of the court. Having been a member of the court since the 6th of February, 2012, Judge Sebutinde is no stranger to its operations. Notably, she is the sole judge on the panel overseeing the case of South Africa against Israel who has consistently voted against all anti-Israel decisions.
The court has also welcomed new judges to its ranks. These include Sarah Cleveland from the USA, Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu from Romania, Dire Tladi from South Africa, and Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo from Mexico. Each of these individuals brings a unique perspective and rich experience to the court.
The remaining judges currently serving on the court are Hillary Charlesworth from Australia, Georg Nolt from Germany, Iwasawa Yuji from Japan, Dalvir Bhandari from India, Xue Hanqin from the People’s Republic of China, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf from Somalia, Ronnie Abraham from France, and Peter Tomka from Slovakia. These judges have all made significant contributions to the court and continue to uphold its values and principles.
However, the court also saw the departure of several judges. Patrick Lipton Robinson from Jamaica, Mohammed Bennouna from Morocco, Kirill Gevorgyan from Russia, and Joan Donahue from the USA have all chosen to step down from their positions on the court. Their contributions to the court will not be forgotten.
