Prime Minister Keir Starmer has formally endorsed Nigerian-born international law scholar Professor Dapo Akande as Britain’s candidate for the International Court of Justice (ICJ), calling him “exceptionally well-qualified” to serve on the UN’s highest judicial body.
In a letter circulated to UN member states, Starmer said the United Kingdom is “delighted” to nominate Akande for the 2027–2036 term, describing the Oxford professor as a “formidable judge” whose expertise is urgently needed as the ICJ faces one of the heaviest caseloads in its history.
Starmer highlighted Akande’s decades-long career as a global authority on public international law, pointing to his service on the UN’s International Law Commission, his influential scholarship, and his record advising governments across all five UN regional blocs.
“Professor Akande brings a wealth of experience from 25 years of teaching and practising international law,” Starmer wrote. “His independence, global perspective and legal rigour will help guide the Court in the years ahead.”
Akande, the Chichele Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College, has acted as counsel or expert before nearly every major international tribunal, including the ICJ, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the European Court of Human Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the WTO’s dispute panels. He is also on the panel of arbitrators at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
Responding to the nomination, Akande said he was “deeply honoured,” stressing that the ICJ plays a critical role in maintaining global order.
“The Court assists states in resolving disputes peacefully on the basis of international law,” he said. “If elected, it would be an even greater privilege to contribute to its work at a time when confidence in the rule of law in international affairs is more essential than ever.”
Akande emphasised that his candidacy reflects a career spent bridging legal traditions around the world—from his early legal training in Nigeria to senior academic and advisory roles across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
He noted that he has advised the UN, African Union, ASEAN, the Council of Europe and the Organisation of American States, and has taught generations of government lawyers through UN regional legal training programmes.
“As a generalist international lawyer, I have worked across a wide range of fields—from armed conflict and human rights to boundary disputes and international economic law,” he said. “This breadth of experience will be an asset at the ICJ.”
The election for the next round of ICJ judges will take place in the UN General Assembly and Security Council in autumn 2026. Should Akande win, he would become one of the very few Africans ever nominated by a Western state for the World Court.
