Foreign Affairs Minister: Strong competition in ICC judge's election

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne on Wednesday admitted the competition for the election of one of six judges to the International Criminal Court (ICC) this time around was difficult.

In a post on his Facebook page, Dr Browne said, “The process was much more difficult this time around, and the competition from some much larger countries was intense. But due to the strength of our candidate, and due to the negotiating skill of some of our nation's best Foreign Service diplomats, we were able to prevail.”

On Wednesday, Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor was elected an ICC judge to fill one of six vacancies at the court, which sits in The Hague (Netherlands).

Alexis-Windsor was elected in the last of eight rounds, just after 6.30 pm. She received 86 of the 118 votes, beating her rival from Tunisia, Haykel Ben Mahfoudh. Alexis-Windsor needed the 79 votes which made up the two-thirds majority.

Of the six judges elected to serve a nine-year term, from 2021-2030, four were women.

Browne said the vote was heading into the final round late on Wednesday, “and reports were that it was too close to call.

“I called our lead negotiator and told him, ‘Your nation is counting on you, and I have every confidence that you shall deliver. Once again our prestige is on the line, and we are depending on you and the delegation to bring this one home. Proceed to pull out all stops and get the votes required,’” the minister said as he congratulated Alexis-Windsor on her election.

Alexis-Windsor, who was appointed a judge of the Trinidad and Tobago Supreme Court in 2013, previously served as trial and appeals counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 2004-2013.

She was also a senior state counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and was deputy director of the human rights unit at the Office of the Attorney General.

The newly elected judges will fill the vacancies of the six outgoing judges and will begin their nine-year terms on March 10, 2021.

Among the outgoing judges is Justice Geoffrey Henderson. He was elected in November 2013 and was sworn in on December 12, that year, at a ceremony at the seat of the court.

He took up the position after former judge Anthony Carmona resigned to take up the post of president, and is on no-pay leave from the Judiciary.

Alexis-Windsor was nominated by TT’s permanent mission to the UN in April. Her nomination was also endorsed by Caricom.