ICJ elects Nigerian-British professor Dapo Akande as judge

Nigerian-British law professor Dapo Akande has been elected a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), TheCable reports.

Akande will serve a nine-year term on the 15-member court, which settles disputes between states.

His election gives Britain back its ICJ seat, which it lost in 2017 when Christopher Greenwood failed to win re-election.

The Nigerian-trained lawyer is the Chichele professor of public international law at the University of Oxford and a member of the UN International Law Commission.

“I am deeply honoured to be elected to the international court of justice,” he said.

“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.”

UK Lord Chancellor Alex Norris, who campaigned for Akande, said: “At a moment when international law is under pressure, Prof Akande brings the independence, legal rigour, judgment and breadth of perspective that the court needs.”