Election of two new ICC Judges

Fantastic News! After worrying over the nomination of Colombian judge Monroy Cabra, two female judges, Kuniko Ozaki of Japan and Silvia Alejandra Fernandez de Gurmendi of Argentina, were elected today to be judges of the ICC.

All of the profiles of the nominated judges can be found here: http://www.iccwomen.org/news/docs/Profile-of-Judicial-Candidates_Nov2009_FINAL_5-Nov..pdf

The nomination and election of female judges is particularly important in the field of internationalised justice, where female judges have made a real and substantial difference concerning gender based crimes. (Think Nava Pillay in the ICTR in Akayesu and Odio Benito in the ICTY, both of whom re-qualified crimes in order to include gender based crimes). More recently in the SCSL Renate Winter started sowing classes for women so that they would be able to earn a living as a part of a victim re-integration and transformative justice programme.

The ICC Statute specificially recognises the importance of gender equality and geographical equality providing that 'state parties shall also take into account the need to include judges with legal expertise on specific issues, including, but not limited to, violence against women or children'. This knowledge is particularly important considering that gender based crimes often go unpunished.

Now, it would be nice to see the UN in general following suit and implementing a gender equality policy that ensures true parity within the UN and more specifically with regards to the implementation of 1325 and 1820.

Congratulations Judges!!