The UN General Assembly confirms the twelve permanent judges currently sitting in the Tribunal’s chambers in The Hague for another term. Uncertainty over the composition of the Trial Chambers hearing cases as the Tribunal’s mandate draws to a close – from November 2005 until November 2009 – is removed.


By electing the 14 permanent judges whose terms in office will last from November 2005 until November 2009, the UN General Assembly has removed the uncertainty over the composition of the Trial Chambers that will hear cases as the Tribunal’s mandate draws to a close.

Their composition will remain practically the same: of the 13 permanent judges who stood for re-election, twelve were confirmed for another term in office. These are, in alphabetical order: Judges Agius (Malta), Antonetti (France) Bonomy (United Kingdom), Kwon (Republic of Korea), Daqun (China), Meron (USA), Orie (Netherlands), Parker (Australia), Pocar (Italy), Robinson (Jamaica), Schomburg (Germany) and Shahabuddeen (Guyana).

The only judge not returned to office after seven rounds of voting in the UN General Assembly is Egyptian judge El-Mahdi. The only new judge is Bakone Melema Moloto from South Africa; Christine Van den Wyngaert of Belgium, currently an ad litem judge sitting in the chamber hearing the Lapusnik case, will become a permanent judge next November.

The result of the UN General Assembly’s vote makes it possible for the Tribunal to make a detailed trial schedule for the next five years; all first instance proceedings should be completed by then. Since there will be no major changes in the team of permanent judges next November, the Tribunal will be able to start longer and more complex trials before that date, secure in the knowledge that the composition of trial chambers will not have to be changed mid-trial.

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