Honorary Doctor Elected Judge of the
International Court of Justice
Phoebe Okowa, Honorary Doctor of Law at Stockholm University, has been elected to a full nine-year term as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The election was conducted by the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Security Council, and her term will begin in February 2027.
Phoebe Okowa. Photo: Onur Pinar
On 3 November, the United Nations completed the election of five judges to the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Among those elected was Phoebe Okowa, who will continue her service on the Court following her election to a full term of office.
Honorary Doctor in Law
Okowa was awarded an honorary doctorate in law by Stockholm University in 2024. She has long-standing ties to the Faculty of Law through her engagement in research and academic activities in the field of international law. A longstanding collaborator of the Stockholm Centre for International Law and Justice (SCILJ), she has contributed to research projects, publications and conferences at the University.
When Okowa was appointed Honorary Doctor, Pål Wrange, Professor of Public International Law at the Faculty of Law, highlighted her longstanding engagement with the University:
“Professor Phoebe Okowa has for more than twenty years been involved in research and activities relating to international law, particularly international environmental law, at the Stockholm Centre for International Law and Justice (SCILJ) and the Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre. She has contributed to publications on international law, environmental law and justice initiated and edited at Stockholm University, participated in conference programme committees, and serves on SCILJ’s International Academic Advisory Board.”
Strong international connections
Phoebe Okowa’s election to the International Court of Justice is a recognition of her distinguished contributions to international law and reflects the strong international ties that characterize research and education at the Faculty of Law.
Among the other judges elected to the Court was Dapo Akande, Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford. Akande has links to Stockholm University through his participation as the speaker at the seventh Hilding Eek Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Stockholm Centre for International Law and Justice (SCILJ), in 2025.
Further reading:
UN press release on the election to the International Court of Justice
Last updated: 2026-11-04
Source: Department of Law