Judge Bwana joins International Criminal Court |15 January 2011

He is at the moment a judge of Tanzania’s Court of Appeal.

Dr Bwana becomes the sixth judge from Africa and second from East Africa to sit on the global court’s panel of judges.

The ICC was established to end impunity for perpetrators of the most serious crimes against the international community. In all, the court has 18 judges.

Among the cases now before the court is one involving six Kenyan politicians summoned by the court last month to face charges of serious crimes committed during that country’s post-election violence in 2008.

Dr Bwana will be sitting in the ICC’s special chambers for Cambodia, which are responsible for the prosecution of crimes committed when the Khmer Rouge controlled the country from 1975-1979.

About two million people were killed through political execution, starvation and forced labour.

Before being named president of the Court of Appeal in Seychelles, Dr Bwana worked as a judge in the Supreme Court for five years from 1994.
 
ICC judges are elected for nine-year terms by its member countries. Candidates must have qualifications required in their countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices.