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Julia Sebutinde

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Her Excellency
Julia Sebutinde
Vice President of theInternational Court of Justice
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 February 2024
PresidentNawaf Salam
Preceded byKirill Gevorgian
Judge of theInternational Court of Justice
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 February 2012
Preceded byAbdul Koroma
Personal details
Born(1954-02-28)28 February 1954(age 70)
Kampala,British Uganda
SpouseJohn Bagunywa Sebutinde
Children2
Alma materMakerere University(LLB)
Law Development Centre(Diploma)
University of Edinburgh(LLM)

Julia Sebutinde(born 28 February 1954) is a Ugandan jurist. She is currently serving her second term on theInternational Court of Justice(ICJ) following her re-election on 12 November 2020.[1]She also is the current chancellor ofMuteesa I Royal University,a university owned byBuganda kingdom.She has been a judge on the court since March 2012. She is the first African woman to sit on the ICJ.[2][3]Before being elected to the ICJ, Sebutinde was a judge of theSpecial Court for Sierra Leone.She was appointed to that position in 2007.

On 6 February 2024, Julia Sebutinde was electedVice-President of the International Court of Justice.[4]

Background

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Sebutinde was born in February 1954[1]inKampala,Uganda, to a civil servant and a housewife with the Semambo surname. She attended the Lake Victoria Primary School inEntebbein the 1960s.[5]She then joinedGayaza High Schooland laterKing's College Budo,before enteringMakerere Universityto study law. Sebutinde graduated with aBachelor of Lawsin 1977. She obtained the Diploma in Legal Practice from theLaw Development CenterinKampalain 1978. In 1990, she enrolled at theEdinburgh Law School,University of Edinburghfor herMaster of Laws,graduating in 1991. In 2009, in recognition of her body of work and contribution to international justice, she was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Lawsby theUniversity of Edinburgh.[6][7]

Career

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In Africa

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Julia Sebutinde first worked in theMinistry of Justicein theGovernment of Ugandafrom 1978 until 1990. After graduating from theUniversity of Edinburghin 1991, she worked in the Ministry of the Commonwealth in theUnited Kingdom.She later joined the Ministry of Justice in theRepublic of Namibia,which had just attained Independence at that time. In 1996, she was appointedJudge of the High Courtof Uganda. In that capacity, she presided over threecommissions of inquiryrelated to the following government departments:[8]

At the Special Court for Sierra Leone

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In 2005, Julia Sebutinde was appointed, with secondment from the Ugandan government, to theSpecial Court for Sierra Leone,established by theUnited Nations.She was later appointed the Presiding Judge in Courtroom II, at that time responsible for hearing the case against formerLiberian president,Charles Taylor.In that position she refused to attend a disciplinary hearing against Taylor's lawyer.[10][11]

At the International Court of Justice

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In the2011 International Court of Justice judges election,[12]Sebutinde was one of eight candidates for five vacant judicial seats on theInternational Court of Justice,having been nominated by the national groups ofCroatia,Denmark,andUgandain thePermanent Court of Arbitration.[13]In the election, a successful candidate needs an absolute majority of votes both in theUnited Nations General Assemblyand in theUnited Nations Security Council.[14]On the first day of voting, four candidates were elected but the fifth position was not filled.[15]When voting adjourned,Abdul Koroma,the incumbent fromSierra Leone,had received 9 votes out of 15 in the Security Council, with 8 votes needed to elect. Over in the General Assembly, after five rounds of voting, Julia Sebutinde, the contender, had received 97 votes out of 193, with 97 votes needed to elect.[16][17]When balloting resumed on 13 December 2011, Sebutinde received an absolute majority of votes in both the Security Council and the General Assembly, and thus was declared elected.[18]

She was elected for a second term at the ICJ in March 2021.[9]

Sebutinde was one of the 17 judges ruling on provisional measures inSouth Africa's genocide case against Israel.She voted against all the provisional measures, and was the onlypermanent judgeto vote against any of the measures.[19][20]Her dissenting opinion concluded that the dispute in question was essentially political rather than legal, and there was no plausible basis for finding genocidal intent on the part of Israel.[21]TheUgandan Ministry of Foreign Affairssubsequently released a statement that it supported South Africa's position and that Sebutinde's vote "does not in any way, reflect the position of the Government of the Republic of Uganda".[22]

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Justice Sebutinde held the position ofChancellorof theInternational Health Sciences University,inKampala,from 2008 to 2017.[23]

Personal life

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Julia Sebutinde is married to John Bagunywa Sebutinde; they have two daughters.

Sebutinde credited PastorGary Skinnerof thePentecostalWatoto Churchfor having instilled and nurtured in her values of "integrity, honesty, Justice, mercy, empathy, and hard work".[24][25][26][27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"Who is Julia Sebutinde? The judge against all ICJ rulings in Israel's case".Al Jazeera.26 January 2024.Retrieved27 January2024.
  2. ^Butagira, Tabu (15 December 2011)."Justice Sebutinde Speaks on New World Court Job".Daily Monitor.Retrieved23 July2014.
  3. ^"Julia Sebutinde – First African Woman Sworn in As Judge of UN Court".TheHabariNetwork.Com.Xinhua News Agency.12 March 2012.Retrieved23 July2014.
  4. ^"Judge Julia Sebutinde elected Vice-President of the International Court of Justice"(PDF).International Court of Justice. 6 February 2024.Retrieved8 February2024.
  5. ^Kalibbala, Gladys (19 August 2008)."Entebbe's Former School of Glory Fades".New Vision.Archived fromthe originalon 9 August 2014.Retrieved23 July2014.
  6. ^"The University of Edinburgh: Honorary Graduates 2008–2009".The University of Edinburgh(TUoE). 22 August 2012.Retrieved23 July2014.
  7. ^Ssenkaaba, Stephen (29 July 2009)."Justice Sebutinde's Star Still Rising".New Vision.Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2014.Retrieved23 July2014.
  8. ^Scheier, Rachel (7 May 2003)."Uganda's answer to corruption: fiery 'Lady Justice'".Christian Science Monitor.Retrieved29 January2024.
  9. ^abMuhoozi, Mourice (28 January 2024)."Who is Julia Sebutinde: The Dissenting Voice in the ICJ's Israel Case?".Watchdog Uganda.Retrieved29 January2024.
  10. ^Heller, Kevin Jon (27 February 2011)."Judge Refuses to Attend Taylor Lawyer's Disciplinary Hearing".OpinionJuris.Org.Retrieved23 July2014.
  11. ^Sesay, Alpha (2 March 2011)."One Judge Down: Drama Continues At The Charles Taylor Trial".The Guardian.Retrieved23 July2014.
  12. ^"Law School Graduate Nominated for Election to the International Court of Justice".The University of Edinburgh School of Law.26 October 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 17 June 2013.Retrieved23 July2014.
  13. ^United Nations Secretary-General(26 July 2011)."UN Doc. A/66/183–S/2011/453: List of Candidates Nominated By National Groups / Note By the Secretary-General".United Nations.Retrieved23 July2014.
  14. ^United Nations Secretary-General(26 July 2011)."Election of Five Members of The International Court of Justice / Memorandum by The Secretary-General".United Nations.Retrieved23 July2014.
  15. ^"UN Security Council Elects 4 New ICC Judges".International Planned Parenthood Federation QuotingPan African News Agency.11 November 2011.Retrieved23 July2014.
  16. ^"SC 6651st–6655th Meetings: Security Council, General Assembly Elect Four New Judges to World Court: Fifth Vacancy Remains to Be Filled, Pending Concurrent Action by Both Bodies".United Nations. 10 November 2011.
  17. ^"General Assembly, Concurrently with Security Council, Elects Four Judges to International Court of Justice: Seven Balloting Rounds Fail to Fill Remaining Vacancy on World Court".United Nations. 10 November 2011.Retrieved23 July2014.
  18. ^"Ugandan Judge Elected To Serve on UN World Court".UN News Centre.13 December 2011.Retrieved23 July2014.
  19. ^Kampeas, Ron (26 January 2024)."International Court of Justice rules that some allegations of Israel committing genocide are 'plausible'".Jewish Telegraphic Agency.Retrieved26 January2024.
  20. ^"Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) - Order"(PDF).International Court of Justice. 26 January 2024.Retrieved26 January2024.
  21. ^"Dissenting Opinion of Judge Sebutinde"(PDF).
  22. ^Gadzo, Mersiha; Osgood, Brian (27 January 2024)."Ugandan government distances itself from judge who cast sole dissenting vote in ICJ case".Al Jazeera.Archivedfrom the original on 27 January 2024.Retrieved28 January2024.
  23. ^Bugembe, Anthony; Ogwang, Joel (3 August 2008)."Health Sciences University Launched".New Vision.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2014.Retrieved23 July2014.
  24. ^"Pastor Gary Skinner launches memoir at Watoto amid pomp".New Vision.
  25. ^KABUMBA, DR BUSINGYE (7 February 2024)."'For the Bible tells me so' - Judge Sebutinde & the S.Africa-Israel dispute: Part II ".The Observer - Uganda.
  26. ^Waswa, Samson (21 June 2024)."Watoto's Gary and Marilyn Skinner chronicle 40 years in Uganda in new memoir".Pulse Uganda.
  27. ^"https:// msn /en-xl/news/other/pastor-gary-skinner-launches-memoir-at-watoto-amid-pomp/ar-BB1oEIfo".msn.{{cite news}}:External link in|title=(help)
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