On 26 July 2002, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone announced the appointments of eight judges who will serve on the Trial Chamber and the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court:
Trial Chamber
Short Biographies of Judges for Special Court for Sierra Leone
A. Trial Chamber
Pierre Boutet (Canada)
Brigadier-General Boutet is presently a liaison officer in the Department
of National Defence of Canada. He was most recently Judge Advocate General
of the Canadian Forces (1993-1998) and prior to that a Chief Military Trial
Judge of the Canadian Forces (1987-1993).
Benjamin Mutanga Itoe (Cameroon)
Mr. Itoe is presently a Justice of the Supreme Court of Cameroon, Deputy
Chief Justice and President of the Administrative Branch of the Court.
He was previously the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals (1985-1989)
of Cameroon, and since 1998 a Justice of the Supreme Court.
Bankole Thompson (Sierra Leone)
Mr. Bankole Thompson was formerly a Justice of the High Court of Sierra
Leone (1981-1987) and principal State Attorney in the Attorney-General's
Office (1971-1977). He is presently the Dean of the Graduate School, Eastern
Kentucky University, United States, and a Professor at the Department of
Criminal Justice and Police Studies, Eastern Kentucky University.
B. Appeals Chamber
Emmanuel O. Ayoola (Nigeria)
Mr. Ayoola presently serves as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria
(since 1998) and is a former Justice of the High Court and Court of Appeal.
Justice Ayoola was also the Chief Justice of The Gambia (1983) and President
of the Seychelles Court of Appeal (1999).
Alhaji Hassan B. Jallow (The Gambia)
Mr. Jallow is presently a Justice of the Supreme Court (since 1998)
and a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of The Gambia (1984-1994).
Justice Jallow has also been elected judge ad litem for the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
Gelaga King (Sierra Leone)
Mr. King is a former President of The Gambia Court of Appeal and a
former Justice of the Sierra Leone Supreme Court and President of the Court
of Appeal of Sierra Leone. His service in the diplomatic service of Sierra
Leone included being the Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the
United Nations.
Geoffrey Robertson Q.C. (United Kingdom)
Mr. Robertson is currently the Head of the Doughty Street Chambers
in London. He has been leading counsel in criminal, constitutional and
administrative law cases before the House of Lords, the Court of Appeal
of the United Kingdom and the European Court of Human Rights. Mr. Robertson
has been a visiting professor in a number of universities and since 1999,
an appointed Recorder (part-time judge).
Renate Winter (Austria)
Ms. Winter is presently an international judge in the Supreme Court
in Kosovo where she has served since November 2000. Previously, she was
a judge in the Vienna Youth Court and in her missions for the United Nations
in Africa and has worked on projects relating to juveniles and child soldiers.
C. Alternate Judges
Issac Aboagye (Ghana)
Mr. Aboagye is presently a Justice of the High Court of Botswana where
he has served since 1988. Between 1980 and 1987 he was a Judge in the Supreme
Court of The Gambia. He has also served as a High Court Judge in Ghana.
Elizabeth Muyovwe (Zambia)
Ms. Muyovwe is presently a Judge in the High Court of Zambia and formerly
vice-chairperson of the Lands Tribunal. Justice Muyovwe has also served
as a counsel in the Office of the Attorney-General, Director of Public
Prosecutions and Legal Aid.
Text from the United Nations Press Centre