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Nigerian Judge Emerges President Of International Criminal Court

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A Nigerian Judge, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, as been elected President of the International Criminal Court, after a plenary session with immediate effect.

The election which took place on Sunday, March 11, 2018, makes Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji the incumbent leader for a three-year term.

Also, the first vice-president elected was Judge Robert Fremr (Czech Republic), while Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut (France) Second Vice-President.

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.

The role of the presidency in the ICC, which consist of the President and two Vice-Presidents plays the role of strategic and articulate leadership as they coordinates with and seeks the concurrence of the Prosecutor on matters of mutual concern.

The presidency also oversees the activities of the registry, conducts judicial review of certain decisions of the Registrar and concludes Court-wide cooperation agreements with States and international organizations.

Naija News gathered that Chile Eboe-Osuji was born in 1962 and he had served as a judge of the International Criminal Court, The Hague, having been elected on December 16, 2011 and sworn in on March 9, 2012.

He also served as a Legal Advisor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights after been called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986 and practised briefly in the country.

He obtained a masters in law from McGill in 1991, worked as a barrister in Canada, after he was called to Bar in Ontario and in British Columbia in 1993.

From 1997 to 2005, Eboe-Osuji worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as prosecution counsel and senior legal officer to the judges of the tribunal.

From 2005 to 2007, he worked in Canada as a barrister and law lecturer.

He has authored two books and numerous law journal articles in international law.