The judges of the International Criminal Court have elected Nigeria’s Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji to a three-year term as the president of the Court. The court, which was sitting for a plenary session, also elected Robert Fremr of Czech Republic as the first vice-president and Marc Perrin de Brichambaut of France as te second vice president.

“I am deeply honoured to have been elected by my peers as President of the International Criminal Court. As I take up my duties, I feel encouraged that I am able to rely on the wide experience of the two Vice-Presidents, Judge Robert Fremr and Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, both of whom I have closely worked with previously,” Eboe-Osuji said.

“I also look forward to collaborating with the Assembly of States Parties, civil society and the international community at large, acting together to strengthen and reinforce the Rome Statute system, the 20th anniversary of the adoption of which we celebrate this year.“I am also grateful to the previous President, Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, and Vice-Presidents, Judges Joyce Aluoch and Kuniko Ozaki, for their work and leadership,” he added.

The presidency consisting of the President and the two Vice Presidents plays a key role in providing strategic leadership to the ICC as a whole. It is responsible for the proper administration of the Court, with the exception of the Office of the Prosecutor.

The presidency oversees the activities of the Registry and provides input into a broad range of administrative policies affecting the Court’s overall functioning. Eboe-Osuji graduated with a Law Degree (LL.B) from the University of Calabar in 1985, before attaining a master of laws (LL.M) at the McGill University, Canada.