Pro-Israel judge takes over ICJ presidency after Lebanon's Salam resigns

Pro-genocide Ugandan Judge Julia Sebutinde, currently serving as Vice-President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has stepped in as acting President following the resignation of Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam. Salam’s departure comes after he was summoned by Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun to assume the role of Prime Minister.

An ICJ statement released earlier this week announcing Salam’s resignation did not mention Sebutinde explicitly, but as the Court’s current vice president, claims were circulating that she would now be fulfilling the responsibilities of the presidency.

In an exclusive statement to TRT World, the Court confirmed that Sebutinde will act as serving president, effective immediately. However, the Court has yet to decide whether a new President will be elected to serve the remainder of the term.

“Please note that, in accordance with Article 14 of the Rules of Court, if a vacancy in the presidency occurs before the date when the current term is due to expire, ‘the Court shall decide whether or not the vacancy shall be filled during the remainder of the term’,” the International Court of Justice stated.

For the time being, Sebutinde will act as interim President.

“At this stage, and subject to any decision that the Court will take in this regard, the functions of the presidency are exercised by the Vice-President in accordance with Article 13, paragraph 1, of the Rules of Court,” said the top Court.

A controversial legacy?

Judge Sebutinde’s tenure on the ICJ bench has been controversial at best, particularly due to her shielding stance on Israel despite its crimes against humanity.

In January 2024, the ICJ issued a landmark ruling, ordering Israel to take immediate measures to protect civilians in Gaza amid its genocidal war. While the Court stopped short of mandating a ceasefire, it imposed six provisional measures aimed at preventing genocide and ensuring accountability.

South Africa, the party requesting the intervention, argued that Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounted to genocide and urged the Court to demand a halt to the operation. Of the 17 judges on the panel, the ICJ overwhelmingly approved the six measures, with even an Israeli judge supporting two of them. Yet, Judge Julia Sebutinde of Uganda stood alone in opposing all six.

Among the measures Sebutinde opposed were provisions requiring Israel to ensure the delivery of basic services and essential humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians, and to prevent the destruction of evidence of war crimes while allowing access for fact-finding missions.

She then tried to redeem herself, arguing that the Israel-Palestine “dispute” was fundamentally “political, not legal,” claiming it was unsuitable for judicial resolution.

Sebutinde further claimed that South Africa had failed to demonstrate genocidal intent by Israel under the Genocide Convention.

Legal experts and human rights advocates criticised her reasoning, pointing to extensive evidence of mass civilian casualties and large-scale destruction in Gaza. Uganda’s ambassador to the UN, Adonia Ayebare, distanced the government from her ruling, clarifying in a public statement that Sebutinde’s stance did not reflect Uganda’s official position on Palestine.

“Uganda’s support for the plight of the Palestinian people has been expressed through our voting pattern at the UN,” Ayebare said.

More interestingly, at the time of her dissent, Sebutinde was an ICJ judge.

Just a month later, in February 2024, she was promoted to Vice-President of the ICJ, a distressing turn of events for those who saw her stance as emblematic of Christian Zionist influence.

Concerns over impartiality

Judge Sebutinde’s connections to Uganda’s Pentecostal evangelical community, particularly the Watoto Church, have fuelled these concerns, as Sebutinde herself has credited the Church with shaping her values and the Church being explicitly Zionist.

“I have the chance to practice justice at the world level because of the values I picked from Watoto Church. I am proud of Watoto.”

The Watoto Church is among the largest and most prominent independent churches in Uganda, with branches extending to neighbouring South Sudan, Burundi, and even Israel to which it has strong ties. Worshippers at Sunday services are often urged to contribute donations to what they refer to as the "wonderland," their term for Israel.

"God has blessed Israel by giving them the land of the Palestine as a home forever...," says an X-post from the Watoto Church.

In an Instagram post in October 2023, Watoto Church shared its support for Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries (FIRM), calling the partnership “an incredible opportunity... to participate in the extension of God’s Kingdom in Israel.”

After Sebutinde’s opposition to the provisional measures, Uganda Covenant Nations Church’s founding pastor praised her, sharing a photo of the judge with the caption.

“Not all heroes wear capes. Julia Sebutinde has taken a historic stand at the ICJ. May God always bless her, and may Uganda as a nation always stand with God.”

What’s next?

The ICJ now faces pressure to clarify its plans for electing a new President. With Sebutinde’s controversial record casting doubt on her ability to lead impartially, many worry about the impact on the Court’s legitimacy and its ability to deliver justice, particularly in the ongoing genocide case against Israel.

When asked about the timeline for electing a new president, the ICJ stated “there is no prescribed timeline for the Court to decide in this matter,” leaving Sebutinde in charge indefinitely for now.

The damage this could inflict on global justice, and particularly on Palestinians' access to justice, remains uncertain for now.

“In the midst of the genocide case against Israel, the ICJ would cause significant damage to its own legitimacy and credibility… if it were to allow Sebutinde to serve ad interim in that role for an extended time,” said human rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber.

For now, Sebutinde’s tenure as interim President raises pressing questions about the future of the ICJ and its commitment to upholding impartiality in addressing the world’s most serious crimes.

Mokhiber added: “The world knows about the backroom pressure on the judges. The court must now avoid even the appearance of impropriety.”