Japan’s Iwasawa Elected ICJ Judge

June 24, 2018

New York- -University of Tokyo Prof. Yuji Iwasawa, 64, was elected a judge for the Hague-based International Court of Justice at the United Nations on Friday.

The vote was held at meetings of the U.N. Security Council and the General Assembly. His term will last until February 2021.

Speaking to reporters, Iwasawa expressed his determination to promote the rule of law in the international community.

After graduating from the prestigious Japanese university, Iwasawa acquired a doctoral degree in law from the University of Virginia.

He served as a judge at the Administrative Tribunal of the Asian Development Bank and a refugee examination counsellor at the Japanese Justice Ministry.

Iwasawa assumed the role of professor at the Graduate School of Law and Politics at the University of Tokyo in October 2005.

The election was held following the resignation of Hisashi Owada, 85, as an ICJ judge.

Owada stepped down before the end of his term partly due to his age. In addition, Crown Princess Masako, his daughter, is set to become new empress next year. Jiji Press