L/3021

STATES PARTIES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT STATUTE ELECT SEVEN OF REQUIRED 18 JUDGES

04/02/2003
Press Release
L/3021


International Criminal Court

Assembly of States Parties

First Session (Resumed)

7th Meeting (AM & PM)


STATES PARTIES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT STATUTE ELECT


SEVEN OF REQUIRED 18 JUDGES


The first resumed session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court today elected seven of the required

18 judges for the Court out of 43 candidates in one round of secret balloting.  In the election process, a procedure was used to meet minimum requirements for the representation of the principal legal systems of the world, equitable geographical representation and a fair representation of female and male judges.  Six of the seven elected judges were women.


Ms. Maureen Harding Clark (Ireland), Ms. Fatoumata Dembele Diarra (Mali), Mr. Sang-hyun Song (Republic of Korea), Ms. Sylvia Helena de Figueiredo Steiner (Brazil), Ms. Akua Kuenyehia (Ghana), Ms. Elizabeth Odio Benito (Costa Rica), and Ms. Navanethem Pillay (South Africa) obtained the highest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of the States parties present and voting.  More information on the elected judges and other candidates is available in document ICC-ASP/1/4/Add.1.


Voting Procedures


The ballot contained two lists of candidates.  List A contained the names of candidates having established competence in criminal law and procedure and relevant experience in the field.  List B contained names of candidates having established competence in relevant areas of international law, such as international humanitarian law and the law of human rights, and extensive experience in a professional legal capacity relevant to the Courts’ judicial work.  At least nine candidates should be elected from List A and at least five judges from List B.  No more than 13 candidates from list A and no more than nine candidates from List B would be considered elected.


States Parties also took into account the need for representation of the principal legal systems of the world; equitable geographical representation; and fair representation of female and male judges, as well as the need to include judges with legal expertise on specific issues, including, but not limited to, violence against women or children.  Representatives were required to vote for at least three candidates from the Group of African States, two candidates from the Group of Asian States, two candidates from the Group of Eastern European States, three candidates from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and three candidates from the Group of Western European and Other States.  Representatives were also required to vote for at least six male and at least six female candidates.


Of the elected seven judges, five were from List A and two from List B.  Three candidates were from the Group of African States, one candidate from the Group of Asian States, two candidates from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, and one candidate from the Group of Western European and other States.


Accordingly, tomorrow, representatives must vote for a maximum of

11 candidates.  At least four votes must be cast for candidates from List A and three for candidates from list B.  Representatives must vote for at least one candidate from Asian States, two candidates from Eastern European States, one candidate from Latin American and Caribbean States, at two candidates from Western European and other States.  Moreover, representatives must vote for at least five male candidates.


The morning meeting was suspended after ballots for the first round had been collected, and resumed in the afternoon for announcement of the election results, after which the meeting was suspended until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.


Ballot Results


Total number of ballot papers:  85

Number of invalid ballots:  2

Number of valid ballots:  83

Number of Members voting:  83

Required two-thirds majority:  56


List A:                      # of votes

African States:

Mr. Adolphus Karibi-Whyte (Nigeria)               30

Mr. Joseph-Medard Katuala Kaba Kashala (Democratic

            Republic of the Congo                                     14

Mr. Kamugumya Simon Kahwa Lugakingira (United

            Republic of Tanzania)                                       8

Mr. Doudou Ndir (Senegal)               39

Mr. Mory Ousmane Sissoko (Niger)                 9

Ms. Fatoumata Dembele Diarra (Mali)            65


Asian States:

Mr. Georghios M. Pikis (Cyprus)                43

Mr. Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa)                 34

Mr. Sang-hyun Song (Republic of Korea)      63

Mr. Timoci Uluiburotu Tuivaga (Fiji)      14


Eastern European States:

Mr. Bostjan M. Zupancic (Slovenia)              27

Ms. Hajnalka Karpati (Hungary)               35

Ms. Eleonora Zielinska (Poland)                36


Latin American and Caribbean States:

Mr. Karl Hudson-Phillips (Trinidad and Tobago)      53

Ms. Elizabeth Odio Benito (Costa Rica)`     60

Ms. Sylvia Helena de Figueiredo Steiner (Brazil)    61


            Western European and other States:

Mr. Adrian Fulford (United Kingdom)                42

Mr. Ioannis Giannidis (Greece)                14

Mr. Claude Jorda (France)                43

Mr. Almiro Rodrigues (Portugal)              38

Ms. Maureen Harding Clark (Ireland)               65

Ms. Barbara Liliane Ott (Switzerland)           45


List B:

African States:

Mr. Daniel David Ntanda Nsereko (Uganda)          20

Mr. Raymond C. Sock (Gambia)                      9

Ms. Akua Kuenyehia (Ghana)                 60

Ms. Navanethem Pillay (South Africa)           56


Asian States

Mr. Jargalsaikhany Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia)        27

Mr. Bunchhat Heng Vong (Cambodia)              15


Eastern European States:

Mr. Ion Diaconu (Romania)               23

Mr. Dimitar Gochev (Bulgaria)              18

`     Mr. Ivo Josipovic (Croatia)                                       26

Ms. Anita Usacka (Latvia)                46


Latin American and Caribbean States:

Mr. Rene Blattmann (Bolivia)               30

Mr. Antonio Boggiano (Argentina)            18

Mr. Roberto MacLean Ugarteche (Peru)      18

Mr. Rafael Nieto Navia (Colombia)              16

Mr. Victor Rodriguez-Cedeno (Venezuela)      20


Western European and other States:

Mr. Marc Bossuyt (Belgium)               20

Mr. Hans-Peter Kaul (Germany)               43

Mr. Philippe Kirsch (Canada)                55

Mr. Erkki Kourula (Finland)               51

Mr. Mauro Politi (Italy)                 46

Mr. Juan Antonio Yanez-Barnuevo (Spain)           28


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For information media. Not an official record.