Vice President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Justice Julia Sebutinde. Photo/Courtesy
Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde is poised to become the next president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) based in The Hague, Netherlands.
This follows the resignation of the incumbent president Nawaf Salam with effect from yesterday, January 14.
Justice Nawaf is taking up the new political role of Prime Minister in his native country of Lebanon after being tapped by the new president Joseph Aoun.
Justice Sebutinde who recently came under the spotlight for her rejection of South Africa’s alleged genocide claims against Israel that are being committed in Gaza regarding the Palestine conflict, has been the vice of the departing president Nawaf, making her chances of becoming the next president high.
In a statement released on January 14, the ICJ confirmed the resignation of their president.
“Judge Nawaf Salam, the president of the International Court of Justice, has resigned as a member of the court with effect from today, 14January 2025. His term as member and president was due to expire on 5 February 2027,” read in part ICJ’s statement.
Adding: “In accordance with Article 14 of the Statute of the Court, it will be for the Security Council to fix the date for the election of his successor by the General Assembly and the Security Council as provided for by Article 15 of the Statute. The judge then elected will complete judge Salam’s term as a member of the court,”
Justice Sebutinde’s international jurist role started in 2005 when she was appointed to the Special Court for Sierra Leone war crimes Tribunal.
One of the key cases that she handled while on the Tribunal was being part of the panel that dealt with the case of then Liberian President, Charles Taylor.
It’s from there that in 2012, the 70-year-old judge was appointed to the International Court of Justice, where she had grown in ranks in the two terms that she has been serving and cemented her international jurist career.
Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo has since congratulated her for the new role and challenge she has yet to assume.
“I congratulate her upon this milestone. She has made Uganda proud,” Chief Justice Dollo said briefly on Wednesday morning.
Justice Dollo scoffed at those who have lately been referring to her as a judge who stood with Israel.
“A judge must take a position and he/she doesn’t take that position to please people but based on the law. So this didn’t mean that she stood with Israel but on the side of the law,” CJ Dollo explained.
As her position rattled many, especially the international community, Uganda’s Permanent Representative at the UN, Adonia Ayebare came out to say that Justice Sebutinde’s position didn’t reflect Uganda’s policy/ stand but it was her individual position as one of the judges in the case.
The International Court of Justice is a United Nations' (UN) main court that settles mainly legal disputes between countries. The ICJ’s mission is to ensure that international law is used to protect the people, especially the vulnerable ones.
