During the 22nd session of the ICC Assembly of States Parties, six ICC judges were elected to serve nine-year terms.
The 18 ICC judges oversee proceedings, ensure fair trials and authorize victims’ participation, issue decisions in accordance with rules and practices of the Court, including arrest warrants or summonses to appear, among other responsibilities. In December 2023, ICC States Parties elected six new judges from among 13 candidates nominated by ICC states parties earlier in the year.
The new judges started their nine-year mandates with a swearing-in ceremony on 8 March 2024. On 11 March 2024, the new judges and their peers elected the Presidency of the Court, composed of a President and two Vice-Presidents, serving three-year terms.
Meet the new ICC judges and learn about their visions for international justice (in alphabetical order):
Haykel BEN-MAHFOUDH | Male | Tunisia (Africa) | List B
CICC QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY CANDIDATE (French)
Nominating State did not complete the CICC questionnaire
Erdenebalsuren DAMDIN | Male | Mongolia (Asia Pacific) | List A
Nicolas GUILLOU | Male | France (Western Europe & Others) | List A
Beti HOHLER | Female | Slovenia (Eastern Europe) | List A
CICC QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY CANDIDATE
CICC QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY NOMINATING STATE
Images ©ICC-CPI
Iulia Antoanella MOTOC | Female | Romania (Eastern Europe) | List B
CICC QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY CANDIDATE
CICC QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY NOMINATING STATE
*Picture not available
Keebong PAEK | Male | Republic of Korea (Asia Pacific) | List A
Watch Panel Discussions with the Candidates
Watch here Panel Discussions with the Candidates organized by the Assembly of States Parties (Assembly) on 6 and 7 November of 2023, co-organized with civil society:
Background on the 2023 ICC Judicial elections
To ensure that the ICC’s bench remains representative, the Assembly had to vote for at least three male candidates, to ensure fair gender representation; two candidates from the Eastern European Group and two candidates from the Asia-Pacific Group to ensure geographic balance; and one candidate with specific expertise in criminal law and procedure (“List A”) and one candidate with specific expertise in international law (“List B”) to ensure balance of competence and expertise. See here the outcomes of votes during ASP22.
For the first time, ICC judicial candidates were subject to an ad hoc vetting process to assess the high moral character of candidates, as prescribed by the Rome Statute. The vetting process was overseen by the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), and included a comprehensive review of background information, including reputational interviews with former employers and staff who may have worked with the candidate, and the establishment of a confidential channel for the submission of information on alleged misconduct. The report of the IOM on the high moral character of candidates was issued in advance of the election for the consideration of States Parties.
A new ICC Presidency
The 18 judges of the Court are also responsible for electing from among themselves the Presidency of the Court, composed of a President and two Vice-Presidents, serving three-year terms. The President of the Court has several areas of responsibility: judicial and legal functions, administration of the Court (with the exception of the Office of the Prosecutor) and external relations. Thus, the role of the Presidency is an important one, with implications on the effective functioning of the judiciary, the Registry, and the public image of the Court.
The current composition of the Presidency from 2024 to 2027 is as follows: Judge Tomoko Akane (Japan), President; Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala (Italy), First Vice-President; Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou (Benin), Second Vice-President.
The following judges will continue to serve their mandates, alongside the six newly elected judges:
- Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Male, Italy (Western Europe & Others), List A
- Tomoko Akane, Female, Japan (Asia-Pacific States), List A
- Reine Alapini-Gansou, Female, Benin (African States) List B
- Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor, Female, Trinidad and Tobago (Latin American and Caribbean States) List A
- Solomy Balungi Bossa, Female, Uganda (African States) List A
- Socorro Flores Liera, Female, Mexico (Latin American and Caribbean States), List B
- Joanna Korner, Female, United Kingdom, (Western Europe & Others), List A
- Gocha Lordkipanidze, Male, Georgia (Eastern Europe) List B
- Kimberly Prost, Female, Canada (Western Europe & Others), List A
- Miatta Maria Samba, Female, Sierra Leone (African States) List A
- Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez, Male, Costa Rica (Latin American and Caribbean States) List B
The following judges will reach the end of their mandates on 8 March 2024:
- Chang-ho Chung, Male, Republic of Korea (Asia Pacific) List A
- Piotr Hofmanski, Male, Poland (Eastern Europe) List A
- Péter Kovács, Male, Hungary (Eastern Europe) List B
- Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua, Male, Democratic Republic of the Congo (African States) List B
- Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Male, France (Western Europe & Others), List B
- Bertram Schmitt, Male, Germany (Western Europe & Others), List A
