Ugandan-born controversial judge elected Vice-President of International Court of Justice

Despite recent controversy surrounding her dissenting opinion on a case involving emergency measures sought by South Africa against Israel concerning the conflict in Gaza, Julia Sebutinde, Ugandan-born judge, has been elected as the vice-president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands.

The Court will be led by Lebanese Nawaf Salam as president. Both Nawaf and Sebutinde can serve another term upon re-election at the expiry of their current tenure.
“The vice-president replaces the president in their absence, in the event of their inability to perform their duties, or in the event of a vacancy in the presidency,” the ICJ said in a statement.

“In The Hague, where he or she is obliged to reside, the President of the Court takes precedence over the doyen of the diplomatic corps.”

The controversy arose when Judge Sebutinde, who has served as an ICJ judge for over a decade, ruled against emergency measures requested by South Africa. The measures aimed to address the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Out of the 17-member ICJ panel, she was the sole judge to vote against all six measures adopted by the court. The ruling mandated Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in the conflict.

Among the 17 judges, only Judge Sebutinde and one other issued dissenting judgments. The majority, comprising 15 judges, voted in favour of the emergency measures, aligning with most of what South Africa had requested.

This caused a stir both internationally and domestically, with the Ugandan government distancing itself from Judge Sebutinde’s dissenting opinion, clarifying that it did not reflect the East African country’s stance on the conflict.

The decision prompted criticism on social media, where many questioned Judge Sebutinde’s choice not to be more sympathetic to South Africa’s case.

The change in leadership also includes Lebanon-born Judge Nawaf Salam taking over as ICJ judge-president from Joan Donoghue.