CCJ names Nigerian as new judge to replace Barbadian jurist

The Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), has appointed Dr Chile Eboe-Osuji of Nigeria and Canada as a judge of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The RJLSC, independent body responsible for recruiting staff and judges for the CCJ, said that Eboe-Osuj will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Andrew Burgess on April 11, this year.

It said that Justice Eboe-Osuji is an international jurist, who served as a judge of the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC), from March 2012 to March 2018 and as ICC president from March 2018 to March 2021.

Prior to joining the ICC, Dr Eboe-Osuji was the legal advisor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and in that capacity, he led the writing of amicus curiae submissions to the European Court of Human Rights and the United States Supreme Court. He has held several posts at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, including head of Chambers and lead prosecution Trial Counsel.

He practised law as a barrister before trial courts in Nigeria and Canada and conducted appeals before the Court of Appeal for Ontario (Canada) and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Dr Eboe-Osuji also taught international criminal law as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa, Canada, and has an extensive record of legal scholarship and publications, including the books titled International Law and Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts, and Protecting Humanity.

He is the editor-in-chief of the Nigerian Yearbook of International Law. He served as the legal expert to Nigeria’s delegation to the ICC-ASP Special Working Group on the Definition of the Crime of Aggression.

He was called to the Bar in Nigeria (1986), Ontario, Canada (1992), and British Columbia, Canada (1992).
“The RJLSC prides itself on a recruitment process that is both meritocratic and fiercely independent. Each appointment reflects our unwavering commitment to selecting individuals of the highest calibre based solely on their expertise, integrity, and dedication to justice,” said CCJ president and RJLSC chairman, Justice Adrian Saunders.

He said during the recruitment process, 26 applications were received from the United States, Canada, Nigeria, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Fiji, Cameroon, Kenya, Pakistan, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“Of the applications received, five candidates, three males and two females, were shortlisted for further consideration and subsequently interviewed. This process ensures that our Court continues to be a beacon of fairness and excellence, characterized by the utmost professionalism and impartiality,” Justice Saunders added. (CMC)