(EMAILWIRE.COM, March 12, 2009 ) The Hague - Today five judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) elected in January 2009 for nine year terms by the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute (ASP) were sworn-in at a ceremony held at the seat of the Court in The Hague.

They are the following:

· Judge Fumiko Saiga (Japan)

· Judge Joyce Aluoch (Kenya)

· Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng (Botswana)

· Judge Christine van den Wyngaert (Belgium)

· Judge Cuno Tarfusser (Italy)

Judge Fumiko Saiga had already been serving with the Court since 17 January 2009, the date on which she was sworn-in for a term of fifteen months after having been elected by the ASP in December 2007 to fill a judicial vacancy. The other four judges are new to the institution.

During today’s ceremony each judge made a solemn undertaking to exercise his/her respective functions impartially and conscientiously before the interim President of the Court, Judge Elizabeth Odio Benito, and the other ICC judges.

The President of the Assembly of States Parties, Christian Wenaweser, and the ICC Registrar, Silvana Arbia, witnessed the undertakings. Also attending the ceremony were the ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, and the Deputy Registrar Didier Preira, along with a large number of diplomats and other high-ranking guests.

In her opening address, Judge Odio Benito welcomed the arrival of the new judges to the Court, commenting that their election had opened a “new chapter in its history”. She paid tribute to “the judges who were part of the first eighteen” and had “helped build the judicial and administrative structures that provide the foundation on which the Court stands today”, expressing special gratitude to Judge Philippe Kirsch whose second term as President of the Court ended yesterday. She further added: “Today … 18 judges, ten women and eight men, representing all regions of the world and many different cultures and legal traditions will continue the task started six years ago”.

The President of the ASP, Christian Wenaweser, also paid tribute to those who have worked hard to establish the Court “as part of the institutional landscape”. He reminded those present that in order to fulfil its mandate under the Rome Statute, the Court ‘’needs the political support from States and international organisations, from civil society and the public at large. And it needs the personal commitment and engagement from the best legal minds available”. He assured the Court in this respect that it could “count on [the] continued support” of the Assembly of States Parties “to provide … all necessary means”.

Later today, the Court will hold a closed plenary session to elect the members of the Presidency and assign the judges to the various divisions.

The International Criminal Court has a bench of 18 judges who are nationals of States Parties to the Rome Statute. Judges are chosen from among persons of high moral character, impartiality and integrity who possess the qualifications required in their respective countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices.

For further information please contact Ms Laurence Blairon, Spokesperson, at +31 (0)70 515 87 14 or +31 (0) 6 46 44 88 89 or at laurence.blairon@icc-cpi.int.

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Contact Information:
The International Criminal Court (ICC)
Laurence Blairon
Tel: +31 (0)70 515 87 14
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