Experience, Region, and Gender All Factors in Upcoming ICC Elections

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensaouda

The nominations for the December 2011 election for ICC judges are coming in, and thus far ICC States Parties have nominated ten individuals for the six seats. Because there are representation requirements imposed by the ICC's governing treaty for three different categories - expertise and experience, gender, and region - most of the nominations made so far are "List A" candidates with criminal law expertise and experience; men; and from Africa and Europe:

1. BANKOLE THOMPSON, Rosolu John (Sierra Leone)
2. BOOLELL, Vinod (Mauritius)
3. CARMONA, Anthony Thomas Aquinas (Trinidad and Tobago)
4. CATHALA, Bruno (France)
5. CZAPLIŃSKI, Władysław (Poland)
6. EBOE-OSUJI, Chile (Nigeria)
7. FREMR, Robert (Czech Republic)
8. KAM, Gberdao Gustave (Burkina Faso)
9. MINDUA, Antoine Kesia-Mbe (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
10. MORRISON, Howard (United Kingdom)

To provide context on the gender requirements, there will be eight female and four male judges continuing their service after this election (see p. 12).

Some of the many female judges at the ICC. Left to right: Judge Christine van den Wyngaert, Judge Fumiko Saiga, Judge Cuno Tarfusser, Judge Joyce Aluoch and Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng © ICC-CPI

The Court's Assembly of States Parties (ASP) will also be electing a new ICC Prosecutor, a new ASP president, and new members of the Committee on Budget and Finance. There will not, however, be a complete turnover in professional staff, as suggested here; the professional staff provide support and continuity to the officials who are elected and subject to term limits.

The nominations for judicial elections will be open through September 2, subject to extensions if there are not nominations for two more Latin American and Caribbean candidates.