Akande, Okowa Lead New ICJ Bench as Caseload Hits Record High

The United Nations General Assembly and Security Council elected five new judges to the International Court of Justice on Tuesday. The selection process concluded after the two bodies initially failed to agree on a fifth member, requiring multiple rounds of secret ballot voting to resolve the impasse.

Dapo Akande of the United Kingdom, Francois Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, Rena Lee of Singapore, and Phoebe Okowa of Kenya secured the necessary absolute majority in both chambers. Their nine-year terms are scheduled to begin on February 6, 2027. The ICJ bench consists of 15 judges, each representing a different nation, with one-third of the seats up for election every three years to maintain institutional continuity.

The final vote highlighted a procedural split between the two UN bodies. The Security Council initially backed Marcelo Vazquez-Bermudez of Ecuador, while the General Assembly supported Okowa of Kenya. Vazquez-Bermudez withdrew from the race, clearing the path for Okowa to receive support from both the General Assembly and the Security Council.

The new judges will assume their roles as the court faces its heaviest workload in recent history. ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa informed the General Assembly on October 29 that 24 contentious cases are currently pending. These disputes involve issues of territory, human rights, and the interpretation of international treaties.

Among the pending matters is South Africa’s case accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza. The court has previously ordered provisional measures in that dispute but has not yet issued a final ruling on the existence of genocide. In October 2025, the court issued an advisory opinion detailing Israel’s obligations toward the United Nations and humanitarian organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The court also announced on Tuesday that it will deliver a judgment on November 19 in a separate case. The Gambia accuses Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya minority in that proceeding. Established in 1945, the ICJ serves as the UN’s principal judicial organ, settling disputes between states and providing advisory opinions on questions of international law.