ICC Elects Nigerian Judge, Chile Eboe-Osuji As The President

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has, on Sunday, March 11, sitting in a plenary session, elected a Nigerian, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji as the President of the world judiciary body.

Also elected were Judge Robert Fremr as the First Vice-President and Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut as the Second Vice-President.

Judge Fremr and Judge Perrin de Brichambaut are from Czech Republic and France respectively.

The three judges were elected on a three-year term with immediate effect.

Speaking after the election, Judge Eboe-Osuji said:

“I am deeply honoured to have been elected by my peers as President of the International Criminal Court.

“As I take up my duties, I feel encouraged that I am able to rely on the wide experience of the two Vice-Presidents, Judge Robert Fremr and Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, both of whom I have closely worked with previously.

“I look forward to working together with them as well as with all the judges, all the Officials and the staff of the Court in a spirit of collegiality.

“I also look forward to collaborating with the Assembly of States Parties, civil society and the international community at large, acting together to strengthen and reinforce the Rome Statute system, the 20th anniversary of the adoption of which we celebrate this year.”

“I am also grateful to the previous President, Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, and Vice-Presidents, Judges Joyce Aluoch and Kuniko Ozaki, for their work and leadership,” he added.

In its statement following the election, ICC gave the following insight into its activities:

“The Presidency – consisting of the President and the two Vice-Presidents – plays a key role in providing strategic leadership to the ICC as a whole.

“The Presidency coordinates with the other organs and seeks the concurrence of the Prosecutor on matters of mutual concern.

“In accordance with the Rome Statute, the ICC’s governing treaty, the Presidency is responsible for the proper administration of the Court, with the exception of the Office of the Prosecutor.

“The Presidency oversees the activities of the Registry and provides input into a broad range of administrative policies affecting the Court’s overall functioning.

“Furthermore it conducts judicial review of certain decisions of the Registrar and concludes Court-wide cooperation agreements with States and international organizations.”