Nigerian-trained lawyer Akande elected ICJ judge.
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Nigerian-trained international lawyer, Professor Dapo Akande, has been elected a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), following a vote by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
Akande, a Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford, will serve a nine-year term at the UN’s principal judicial organ, which adjudicates legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on international legal questions.
His election marks the return of a United Kingdom judge to the court after a nine-year absence, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Tuesday. The British government said Akande secured the support of a majority of UN member states in what it described as a closely contested election. It said his candidacy was backed by the Prime Minister, ministers and British diplomats across the world. Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Akande’s election demonstrated the UK’s commitment to international law and its role in global affairs.
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