Judge Julia Sebutinde of Uganda has been elected Vice President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a three-year term, the United Nations’ highest court announced Tuesday.
Sebutinde has served on the 15-member panel of judges at the ICJ since 2012. Prior to her election, she was a judge at the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone from 2005-2011.
Established in 1945, the ICJ settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions proposed by U.N. organizations. Commonly known as the World Court, it is seated at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
As Vice President, Sebutinde will help oversee the judicial work of the court along with its current President, Judge Joan E. Donoghue of the United States.
Sebutinde is the third woman to hold the post of ICJ Vice President. She succeeds former vice president Xue Hanqin of China. More biographical details can be found on the ICJ website.