New York – Indian Judge Dalveer Bhandari was elected as the 15th and final judge at International Court of Justice on Monday.
The 70-year-old former Indian Supreme Court judge got majority votes in eleven rounds against British Judge Greenwood. Britain pulled out its candidate Christopher Greenwood before the 12th round of voting. For the first time in its 71-year history, UK will not have a judge on the bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Every three years, one-third of the ICJ’s 15-member bench is elected for a nine-year term. Elections are held in the United National General Assembly (UNGA) and the UN Security Council in New York, separately but simultaneously. To win the election, a candidate must acquire the majority in both chambers.
Mr. Bhandari received 183 out of 193 votes at UNGA and received 9 votes out of 15 at UNSC.
Four other judges have already been elected from Brazil, France, Lebanon and Somalia.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it “a proud moment for India.” Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, described Justice Bhandari’s re-election as a “victory for emerging new India,” and an “acknowledgment that the world now needs to make space for an asserting India.”
Bhandari’s victory and Kalbhushan Jadhav’s Case:
Bhandari’s election was important for India because earlier this year, India took Pakistan to ICJ to seek consular access to Kulbhusahan Jadhav, who has been in Pakistani custody over the allegation of being an Indian spy. The final judgment on Jadhav’s case is to be delivered in December. Pakistan has recently appointed an ad-hoc judge to the ICJ for the case. Bhandari’s election at ICJ has given India an edge in the case.
