Law man Tladi, now seated in the Hague
Tladi is one of 15 members elected to a nine-year term to the ICJ.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on February 6 renewed its staff composition when it officially solidified Prof Dire Tladi’s permanent place as judge at the Palace of Peace in The Hague, Netherlands.
Tladi is one of 15 members elected to a nine-year term to the ICJ.
He was sworn in as judge after his election by the UN General Assembly and Security Council on November 9, 2023, his term beginning on February 6.
WATCH: Prof. Dire Tladi being sworn in as a new member of the @CIJ_ICJ after being elected by the General Assembly & Security Council of the @UN.
We are extremely proud of Prof. Tladi as he continues to raise the @UPTuks and South African flag high! #UPLaw
[🎥: @CIJ_ICJ ] pic.twitter.com/8DY3saStDs— UP Law (@UPLawFaculty) February 7, 2024
Tladi was among judges Hilary Charlesworth of Australia (re-elected), Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu of Romania, Sarah Hull Cleveland of USA and Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo Verduzco of Mexico, as new judges to the court.
ICJ judges elect from among their ranks members to sit on the court chamber of summary procedure, budgetary and administrative, rules and library committees.
As of February 6, the composition of the chamber committee is as follows:
– President Nawaf Salam
– Vice-President Julia Sebutinde
– Ronny Abraham
– Georg Nolte
– Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant
Substitute members are:
– Hilary Charlesworth
– Dire Tladi
The new budgetary and administrative committee members are as follows:
– President Nawaf Salam
– Vice-president Julia Sebutinde
– Peter Tomka
– Ronny Abraham
– Xue Hanqin
– Iwasawa Yuji
– Georg Nolte
Rules Committee:
– Peter Tomka
– Hilary Charlesworth
– Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo
– Sarah Hull Cleveland
– Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu
– Dire Tladi
Library Committee:
– Dalveer Bhandari
– Iwasawa Yuji
– Georg Nolte
– Hilary Charlesworth
– Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant
-Dire Tladi
The University Of Pretoria (UP) in a social media post said it was thrilled that the South African judge had been sworn in.
“We are thrilled to share that Prof Dire Tladi from the Faculty of Law has been sworn in as a new member of the ICJ after being elected by the General Assembly and Security Council of the United Nations.
Prof Tladi’s expertise and dedication will undoubtedly contribute greatly to international law. Congratulations!”
#ProudlyUP: Prof. Tladi has been sworn in as a new member of the @CIJ_ICJ after being elected by the General Assembly & Security Council of the United Nations. He makes history as the first South African to serve as a permanent judge at the @CIJ_ICJ in The Hague.#ICJ #UPLaw pic.twitter.com/GIozeXU5iP
— UP Law (@UPLawFaculty) February 7, 2024
The UP professor of international law’s position as a judge in the ICJ is one for the history books, with the achievement welcomed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The ICJ is the principal judicial organ and one of six principal bodies of the United Nations (UN). Its role is to settle debates on international law, and legal disputes submitted to it by member states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised UN organs and specialised agencies.
In May 2023, the Cabinet endorsed Tladi’s nomination to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and on November 9, Ramaphosa announced the outcome of the UN General Assembly and Security Council’s rigorous voting.
Director of Future Africa Dr Heide Hackmann, welcomed Tladi’s appointment as a milestone in the pursuit of global peace and justice.
“We are extremely proud of Prof Tladi,” she said.
“His appointment as the first South African judge at the ICJ, will undoubtedly raise the important voice of Africa and contribute to shaping a safer and more equitable world for all,” Hackmann said.
“We look forward to witnessing the positive influence his expertise will have and commit our support to him in taking on this important international role.”
Tladi has expressed a mix of emotions since his election.
“I am filled with mixed emotions – excitement, elation, and a touch of nervousness. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude because so many people played a role in this journey,” he said.
“The entire experience has been humbling, especially navigating through the challenges of an intense campaign, and juggling various responsibilities over the past few months. The announcement and the tense process have undoubtedly taken a toll, but I’m absolutely ecstatic and profoundly humbled by the experience.”
Tladi has held several key positions within the field of international law, including chair of the International Law Commission, an organ of the UN renowned for its contributions to the ICJ. He has also provided invaluable expertise as a legal adviser to the South African mission in New York and as a special adviser to the South African foreign minister.
He has published more than 100 academic publications – articles, books and chapters in books. He holds a BLC LLB (cum laude) from the University of Pretoria, an LLM from the University of Connecticut and a PhD from Erasmus University Rotterdam. He was a member of the UN International Law Commission from 2012 to 2022.
The judge’s nine-year term of office will begin today.
The proceedings will be streamed at 11:00 SA time, 06 February 2024.
Follow the link to watch the proceedings ➡️ https://t.co/U1OjKLavRV
— DIRCO South Africa (@DIRCO_ZA) February 6, 2024
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