Britain's Dapo Akande wins seat on International Court of Justice
British academic Dapo Akande was elected a judge of the International Court of Justice after a UN vote on 3 November 2026, winning majority support from UN member states. He will serve nine years, ending the UK's near-decade without a judge on the bench. Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband backed his campaign.
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What does it mean?
The International Court of Justice is the UN's main court for settling disputes between countries. Britain now has a judge there again after almost ten years, and Akande will serve for nine years.
Who is affected?
States bringing or defending disputes before the International Court of Justice, and the UK government, which campaigned for the seat.
What changes?
Until this election the UK had no ICJ judge for almost a decade; Akande's nine-year term now restores a British seat on the bench.