Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The United Kingdom government has disclosed that it will nominateĀ a professor of Public International Law at University of Oxford, Dapo Akande, for election as a judge to theĀ International Court of JusticeĀ (ICJ).
UK Ambassador to The Netherlands and ICJ representativen, Joanna Roper, disclosed this in a statement, adding that Akande would be nominated in 2026.
āThe UK is pleased to announce that Professor Dapo Akande will be nominated for election as a judge to the International Court of Justice in 2026 by the UK National Group,ā Roper said.
She noted that Akande is an āoutstanding international lawyer who will bring deep legal expertise and experience to the ICJ.ā
The ambassador said Akande reflects the UKās āfirm commitment to international justice, human rights and the international rule of law.ā
Akande was elected to the United Nations (UN) International Law Commission (ILC) in November 2021. He wasĀ co-nominatedĀ by the UK, Nigeria, Japan, Kenya and Slovenia.
The ILC is a body of experts responsible for developing and codifying international law.
The professor of law was born and raised in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. He obtained his Bachelor of Law, LLB, from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
He is a renowned expert in public international law with more than 25 years of legal experience.
AkandeĀ began his legal career as a research assistant to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, late Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN).
He has worked as counsel on international litigation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), World Trade Organisation (WTO), International Criminal Court (ICC), and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Akande has also served as consultant to several international organisations, including the ICC, UN, African Union (AU), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and Commonwealth secretariat.