Dapo Akande Elected Judge of International Court of Justice

Professor Dapo Akande, a Nigerian-born international law scholar, has been elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. His election took place on November 3, following voting by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York.

Akande, who contested as the United Kingdom's candidate, secured 129 votes in the General Assembly, surpassing the required threshold of 97 votes. His election was confirmed by the University of Oxford on November 4 and welcomed by the British Government, marking a return of UK representation to the World Court after nearly a decade.

Akande will serve a nine-year term beginning February 6, 2027, on the 15-member court located in The Hague, Netherlands. He was elected alongside four other candidates and has extensive experience in public international law, including serving as a member of the United Nations International Law Commission since 2021.