On Mar. 11, Judge Tomoko Akane was elected a new President Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at a plenary session.
Tomoko Akane was elected the new ICC President Judge
The ICC press release states that Judge Tomoko Akane was elected President Judge, Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala was elected First Vice President, and Judge Reine Alapini-Hansou was elected Second Vice President.
Members of the Presidency are elected for a term of three years and take effect immediately.
Judge Akane said that during her presidency, she would focus on promoting dialogue between the judiciary, defence representatives, and victims and strengthening dialogue with States Parties and States that have not yet ratified the Rome Statute.
At this challenging time for the Court, stable, collaborative and unified leadership is required. I will focus on fostering dialogue amongst the organs of the Court and defence and victims’ representatives, as well as reinforcing the dialogue with States Parties and States that have not yet ratified the Rome Statute. I will also prioritise the security and well-being of the Court’s personnel.
Tomoko Akane
the ICC President Judge
Tomoko Akane: what is known
The Japanese lawyer was elected the International Court of Justice judge in 2017. She took office in March 2018 for a nine-year term.
In March 2023, Tomoko Akane issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia during the war.
In response, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs declared that Akane wanted to initiate a criminal investigation against Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez.
She commented on this in an interview with a Japanese television channel: "Even if one of the judges dies, any number of people can replace him, so there's no need to persecute them."
