Professor Dapo Akande, a Nigerian-trained lawyer and renowned scholar of public international law, has been elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
Akande was elected following a United Nations vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. He will serve a nine-year term on the court, which is responsible for resolving legal disputes between countries and providing advisory opinions on international legal matters. <Cite refs={["turn232625search3","turn232625search0"]}/>
His election marks the return of a United Kingdom judge to the ICJ after the country went without representation on the court for nine years.
Originally trained in Nigeria, Akande has built an international career spanning nearly three decades in legal practice, academic research and international dispute settlement.
He is currently the Chichele Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College. He is also a member of the United Nations International Law Commission and a barrister at Essex Court Chambers in London. <Cite refs={["turn232625search1","turn232625search2"]}/>
Over the years, Akande has represented and advised governments and international organisations on complex legal matters. His work has taken him before several international courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
His academic and professional contributions cover several areas of international law, including human rights, international criminal law, armed conflict, the law of international organisations and international dispute resolution.
Akande obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, in 1992. He qualified as a barrister and solicitor at the Nigerian Law School in 1993 before earning a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics in 1994.
Reacting to his election, Akande said he was honoured by the confidence placed in him by member states and pledged to carry out his responsibilities independently and impartially, applying the law faithfully.
His election places a Nigerian-trained legal scholar among the 15 judges serving on the world court.