Professor Dapo Akande elected as judge to the International Court of Justice

We are delighted that our colleague Professor Dapo Akande, Chichele Professor of Public International Law, has been elected as a judge to the International Court of Justice. Elected by an absolute majority in the first round of voting in the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council on 3 November 2026, Dapo will take up his seat in The Hague on 6 February 2027.

Dapo has been Chichele Professor and Fellow of All Souls since 2023. Prior to taking up the Chair, he was Professor of Public International Law at the Blavatnik School of Government from 2018-2023, and Yamani Fellow in Public International Law at St Peter's College from 2004-2018. Dapo is also Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, Co-General Editor of the British Yearbook of International Law, a trustee of the Rhodes Trust, and a barrister in practice at Essex Court Chambers. Since 2021, he has been a member of the International Law Commission.

Dapo has held visiting professorships in the United States, Europe and Australia, and has been a board member for a range of scholarly and civil society organisations. He has acted as advocate, counsel, adviser or expert in cases before international tribunals, including the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the European Court of Human Rights, the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights, the International Criminal Court, and World Trade Organization panels.

Dapo said: "I am deeply honoured to be elected to the International Court of Justice. I am incredibly grateful to all the states that have put their faith in me. I pledge to serve with independence and to decide cases on the basis of a faithful and impartial application of the law. I look forward to contributing to the International Court of Justice's vital work in helping to resolve disputes by peaceful means, alongside the other colleagues elected today."

The UK has not had a judge on the International Court of Justice for almost a decade, but following a campaign backed by the Prime Minister, Ministers and diplomats across the world, Dapo will now be a judge at the Court for the next 9 years.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "This election is a clear signal to our partners that the UK is back on the world stage and ready to play our part in ensuring global stability and upholding the rule of law. Professor Akande will bring integrity, legal rigour and independent expertise to the International Court of Justice, and I am incredibly proud that he is representing the UK."

Professor John Armour, Dean of the Faculty of Law, said: "We congratulate Dapo on this enormous achievement. The International Court of Justice, international law more generally, and the UK will be very well-served by his brilliant intellect and judgement. While we will miss him in the Faculty, we are grateful that he is able to take on this hugely important role."