Dapo Akande Elected to the International Court of Justice for a Nine Year Term
Professor Dapo Akande has been elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The Nigerian trained international law scholar, who stood as the United Kingdom candidate, won his seat in a United Nations vote on November 3, 2026, and will serve a nine year term starting in February 2027.
The election returns a UK judge to the world court after a nine year absence, a gap the British government had worked hard to close. Akande is one of five new judges elected to fill vacancies on the 15 member court, alongside candidates from France, Jordan, Kenya and Singapore. Together they will shape the court for the next nine years, at a time when it faces a record caseload.
Akande election has drawn attention for another reason too. He is Nigerian trained, holds British and Nigerian nationality, and is widely respected in international law circles around the world. His path from Nigerian legal training to Oxford professor to world court judge is a story of scholarship, service, and quiet persistence.
| Quick Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who was elected | Professor Dapo Akande, Oxford professor of public international law |
| Court | International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, Netherlands |
| Election date | November 3, 2026, by the UN General Assembly and Security Council |
| Term | Nine years, from February 6, 2027 to February 2036 |
| Candidate status | Stood as the United Kingdom candidate, holds British and Nigerian nationality |
| Other new judges | Francois Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Hmoud of Jordan, Rena Lee of Singapore, Phoebe Okowa of Kenya |
| UK gap closed | First UK judge on the court in nine years, since 2018 |
Who Is Dapo Akande
Akande is the Chichele Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College. He is also Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, and an elected member of the United Nations International Law Commission, the expert body that helps develop and codify international law.
His career spans nearly three decades in public international law, legal scholarship and international dispute settlement. He is also a barrister at Essex Court Chambers in London, which means his work has combined academic research with real legal practice. Colleagues describe him as a scholar judges and governments alike turn to when the questions are hardest.
After his election, Akande said he was honoured by the confidence placed in him by member states and pledged to serve independently and impartially. That pledge matters, because ICJ judges are expected to decide cases on law alone, not as representatives of their home countries.
How the Election Worked
ICJ judges are elected independently by two bodies: the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council. A candidate needs an absolute majority in both bodies to win, and voting takes place by secret ballot, with the two bodies voting separately but at the same time.
On November 3, five vacancies on the 15 member court were filled. Akande, Alabrune, Hmoud and Lee secured the required support in both bodies during the initial voting. The process is deliberately demanding, because the court needs judges who command broad support across regions and legal traditions.
The five new judges will take up their seats on February 6, 2027. Their terms run until February 2036, which means they will serve through a period when the court is handling some of the most sensitive cases in its history.
Why the UK Seat Mattered So Much
The United Kingdom had not held a seat on the ICJ since 2018, a gap of almost a decade that British diplomats were keen to end. The UK is a permanent member of the Security Council and a major contributor to international law, so its absence from the world court bench was seen in London as a real loss of influence.
The British government backed Akande campaign with support from the prime minister, ministers and diplomats around the world. The Foreign Office announced his election on November 3, saying the result would return a UK judge to the court after a nine year absence and noting that he had received the support of a majority of UN member states.
It is important to be precise about what this means. Akande was elected as the UK candidate, not as Nigeria official nominee, even though he is Nigerian trained and holds Nigerian nationality alongside British nationality. He will serve as an independent judge, not as a representative of either country.
The Other Four New Judges
Akande will not serve alone. Francois Alabrune of France brings deep experience in French diplomacy and international law. Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan is a respected scholar and practitioner from the Arab world. Rena Lee of Singapore is known for her work on the law of the sea, including leading negotiations on a landmark ocean treaty. Phoebe Okowa of Kenya is a leading international law academic.
Together, the five new judges reflect the geographic and legal diversity the court is designed to represent. The ICJ has 15 judges in total, drawn from different regions and legal systems, so that its decisions carry authority across the world.
Their arrival also comes at a busy moment. The court faces a record caseload, including South Africa genocide case against Israel over its war on Gaza, alongside disputes between states and requests for advisory opinions on major legal questions. The new judges will step straight into that workload.
What the International Court of Justice Actually Does
The ICJ is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is based at the Peace Palace in The Hague. It has two main jobs. First, it settles legal disputes between countries when those countries agree to bring their case to the court. Second, it gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by UN organs and specialised agencies.
Unlike a domestic court, the ICJ does not try individuals. Its cases are between states, and its judgments depend on countries accepting its authority. Even so, its rulings shape how international law is understood, from borders and treaties to the laws of war and the protection of the environment.
For ordinary people, the court can feel distant. But its decisions affect real lives: they can determine where a border runs, whether a state has broken a treaty, and what obligations countries owe each other in war and peace. That is why the quality and independence of its judges matter so much. For the official announcement, see the UK government announcement of Akande election.
Nigerian Roots, Global Career
Akande story has resonated strongly in Nigeria, where his election has been celebrated as a proud moment. He is the fourth Nigerian connected legal scholar to serve on the ICJ, following Justice Charles Onyeama, who served from 1966 to 1976, Justice Taslim Olawale Elias, who served from 1976 to 1991 and became the first African president of the court, and Prince Bola Ajibola, who served from 1991 onwards.
That history adds weight to the achievement. Elias in particular is remembered as a towering figure in international law, and Akande now joins a lineage of Nigerian jurists who reached the highest court in the world. For young Nigerian law students, his election is a visible reminder that a career built on scholarship can lead to the very top.
At the same time, Akande own career shows how international law works in practice. It is built across borders: Nigerian training, Oxford teaching, UN commission work, London practice, and now a seat in The Hague. That mix of experience is exactly what the court needs from its judges.
Who is Dapo Akande?
Dapo Akande is a Nigerian trained professor of public international law at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of All Souls College, and a member of the UN International Law Commission. He was elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice on November 3, 2026, standing as the United Kingdom candidate.
How long will Akande serve on the ICJ?
Akande will serve a nine year term, from February 6, 2027 to February 2036. ICJ judges serve nine year terms and are elected by both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
Who else was elected to the ICJ in November 2026?
Alongside Akande, the new judges are Francois Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, Rena Lee of Singapore, and Phoebe Okowa of Kenya. Together they fill five vacancies on the 15 member court.
Why is Akande election significant for the UK?
Akande election returns a UK judge to the ICJ after a nine year absence since 2018. The British government campaigned for his election, and his win restores UK representation on the world court bench.
Final Thoughts
Dapo Akande election is a quiet triumph for international law at a noisy time. It rewards decades of scholarship, restores a UK voice to the world court, and adds a Nigerian trained jurist to a bench that will decide some of the hardest legal questions of the next decade. The real test begins in February 2027, when Akande and his fellow new judges take their seats and start work on a record caseload. If they serve with the independence Akande has promised, the court, and the countries that rely on it, will be in strong hands.
