UK Returns to ICJ With Akande Election
Professor Dapo Akande was elected by UN member states as a judge to the International Court of Justice, ending a nearly decade-long absence of a UK judge there.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Law
Professor Dapo Akande was elected by a majority of UN Member States as a judge to the International Court of Justice, serving a nine-year term. The election returns the United Kingdom to the court after almost a decade without a UK judge.
Why it matters
The UK's return to the court restores national representation on the body that settles disputes between states and advises on international law. Akande's background in public international law and his advisory work for governments and the UN and African Union bring extensive practitioner experience to the bench.
Akande has been elected to serve a nine-year term on the International Court of Justice, beginning following the UN vote held on November 3, 2026. The source does not provide the vote count or the specific date his term formally commences.
The players
Dapo Akande
A Professor of Public International Law and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and an elected member of the UN International Law Commission, he was originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria.
International Court of Justice
The principal judicial organ of the United Nations, it settles legal disputes between states and provides advisory opinions on international law.
The details
Akande, a Professor of Public International Law and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, was originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria. He has advised governments across all five UN regional groups, as well as the UN and the African Union, and has acted as counsel and expert in cases before international courts, including the ICJ. The campaign was backed by the UK Prime Minister, ministers, and diplomats worldwide.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Akande elected as ICJ judge following UN vote.
Next nine years: Akande serves as ICJ judge.
Legal Context
The International Court of Justice, established under the UN Charter, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and settles disputes between states. Akande's election fills a seat for the UK after an absence of almost a decade, placing a UK judge back on the bench that rules on inter-state disputes.
For readers following international affairs, the election confirms a UK judge's presence on the ICJ for the next nine years. The change affects how rulings involving British interests are shaped by judicial composition at the court.
The takeaway
The return of a UK judge to the International Court of Justice after nearly ten years reflects renewed national participation in the body that resolves disputes between states. Readers tracking international law can follow how the court's composition shapes its rulings over the coming decade.
Further reading
Explore more on the Law section for context on international judicial institutions.
