ICJ judges worked as arbitrators, says report 

ICJ judges worked as arbitrators, says report 

Context

As per a report by IISD, Christopher Greenwood, the British judge who withdrew as Britain’s nominee for the International Court of Justice, paving the way for Justice Dalveer Bhandari’s election, moonlighted as an arbitrator in nine investment-state dispute settlements as well as two other cases during his time as an ICJ judge

Who has prepared this report?

Report has been prepared by International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Significance

• The work risked causing reputational damage to the court which as the world’s most important and respected court had to be held to the highest standards of independence
• If ICJ judges supplement their income by serving as arbitrators, they have an incentive to work less time for the court where their salary is fixed,” the report warned, adding that it could also potentially impact perceived and actual impartiality

Relevant article

Article 16 of the ICJ’s statute states that no member of the court may exercise any political or administrative function, or engage in any other occupation of a professional nature

Parallel earnings

• According to the IISD, while the annual salary of an ICJ judge was roughly $1,73,000 a year (in 2016) plus a living allowance and pension, arbitrators could earn as much as $3,000 a day
•  IISD found that in two resolved cases involving Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Mr. Greenwood, who has been an ICJ judge since 2009, earned $291,600