The Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC) has appointed Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji, a distinguished jurist from Nigeria and Canada, as a judge of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Dr. Eboe-Osuji will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Andrew Burgess on April 11. The RJLSC, the independent body responsible for appointing judges to the CCJ, highlighted his extensive experience in international law, including his tenure as a judge of the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) from 2012 to 2018 and as ICC president from 2018 to 2021.
Before joining the ICC, Dr. Eboe-Osuji served as legal advisor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where he played a key role in drafting amicus curiae submissions for the European Court of Human Rights and the U.S. Supreme Court. His career also includes serving as head of Chambers and lead prosecution trial counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
In addition to his work in international justice, Dr. Eboe-Osuji has practiced law in Nigeria and Canada, appearing before the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also lectured on international criminal law at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law and has an extensive record of legal scholarship, including publications such as International Law and Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts and Protecting Humanity.
Dr. Eboe-Osuji was called to the Bar in Nigeria in 1986 and later in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada, in 1992. He also serves as editor-in-chief of the Nigerian Yearbook of International Law and was a legal expert for Nigeria’s delegation to the ICC-ASP Special Working Group on the Definition of the Crime of Aggression.
RJLSC Chairman and CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders underscored the rigorous selection process, which drew 26 applications from candidates in the United States, Canada, Nigeria, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Fiji, Cameroon, Kenya, Pakistan, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
“The RJLSC prides itself on a recruitment process that is both meritocratic and fiercely independent. Each appointment reflects our unwavering commitment to selecting individuals of the highest calibre based solely on their expertise, integrity, and dedication to justice,” Justice Saunders said.
He added that five candidates—three men and two women—were shortlisted and interviewed before Dr. Eboe-Osuji was selected. “This process ensures that our Court continues to be a beacon of fairness and excellence, characterised by the utmost professionalism and impartiality,” Saunders said.
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