1946 International Court of Justice judges election

October 2023 The 1946 International Court of Justice election took place on 6 February 1946 in Westminster Central Hall, London. This was the first ever election of Judges of the Court, one of the six "principal organs" of the newly created United Nations. All 15 seats were to be filled. Candidates International Court of Justice#Nomination procedure The following candidates were nominated for the election:A/8 Election of members of the International Court of Justice – List of candidates nominated by the national groups A 12 January 1946 9 August 2026A/8/Corr.1 First corrigendum to Document A/8 – Election of members of the International Court of Justice – List of candidates nominated by the national groups A 17 January 1946 9 August 2026A/8/Corr.2 Second corrigendum to Document A/8 – Election of members of the International Court of Justice – List of candidates nominated by the national groups A 21 January 1946 9 August 2026A/8/Rev.1 Revision of Part I of Doc. A/8 – Election of members of the International Court of Justice – List of candidates nominated by the national groups A 24 January 1946 9 August 2026 Candidates Nominating national groups Brazil 1889 Hildebrando Accioly (Brazil) Brazil Uruguay Eduardo Blanco Acevedo (Uruguay) Uruguay Iran 1925 Mostafa Adl (Iran) Iran Iraq 1924 Nasrat al-Farisi ar نصرت الفارسي sup (Iraq) Iraq Syria 1932 Fares al-Khoury (Syria) Syria, Iraq Iraq 1924 Tawfiq al-Suwaidi (Iraq) Iraq Spain 1945 Rafael Altamira (Spain) France Chile Alejandro Álvarez (Chile) Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Uruguay Costa Rica 1906 Luis Anderson es Luis Anderson Morúa sup (Costa Rica) Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru Brazil 1889 Philadelpho Azevedo (Brazil) Brazil, Canada, Chile, Haiti, Lebanon, Paraguay Egypt 1922 Abdel Hamid Badawi Pasha (Egypt) Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria Australia Kenneth Hamilton Bailey (Australia) Australia Ecuador 1900 Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (Ecuador) Ecuador France 1848b Jules Basdevant (France) Belgium, Canada, France, Greece, Luxembourg, United States Costa Rica 1906 Octavio Béeche Argüello (Costa Rica) Costa Rica Turkey Cemil Bilsel (Turkey) Turkey UK James Leslie Brierly (United Kingdom) Ethiopia Cuba Antonio Sánchez de Bustamante y Sirven (Cuba) Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama Honduras 1898 Julián Ríos Cáceres es sup (Honduras) Honduras Lebanon 1943 Choucri Cardahi fr sup (Lebanon) Lebanon Haiti 1859 Victor Cauvin (Haiti) Haiti China 1928 Cheng Tien-Hsi (China) Netherlands Chile Miguel Cruchaga Tocornal (Chile) El Salvador Iran 1925 Ahmad Matin-Daftari (Iran) Iran, Lebanon South Africa 1928 Reginald Percy Basil Davis (South Africa) South Africa Philippines 1936 Francisco Delgado (Philippines) Philippines Bolivia Eduardo Díez de Medina (Bolivia) El Salvador Mexico 1934 Isidro Fabela Alfaro (Mexico) Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay TCH Vladimír Fajnor sk sup (Czechoslovakia) Czechoslovakia, Ukrainian SSR Guatemala 1871 Jose Falla Aris (Guatemala) Guatemala (withdrawn) USA 1912 Charles Fenwick (United States) Venezuela Philippines 1936 Manuel Gallego (Philippines) Philippines (withdrawn) Peru 1884 Arturo García Salazar es sup (Peru) Peru El Salvador José Gustavo Guerrero (El Salvador) Australia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua USA 1912 Green Hackworth (United States) Nicaragua, Turkey, United States South Africa 1928 Francois Petrus van den Heever (South Africa) South Africa (withdrawn)4 China 1928 Hsu Mo (China) China, Philippines USA 1912 Manley Hudson (United States) Argentina, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Panama, Philippines UK Cecil Hurst (United Kingdom) France, Greece Iraq 1924 Salih Jabr (Iraq) Iraq (withdrawn) Philippines 1936 Mariano Honrade de Joya (Philippines) Philippines Norway Helge Klæstad (Norway) Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway YUG Mihailo Konstantinović sr sup (Yugoslavia) Byelorussian SSR, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia Ukrainian SSR 1937 Vladimir Koretsky de Wladimir Michailowitsch Korezki Vladimir Mikhailovich Koretsky sup (Ukrainian SSR)UKR The Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR, constituent republics of the Soviet Union, enjoyed UN membership in their own right Ukrainian SSR TCH Jan Krčmář cs sup (Czechoslovakia) Czechoslovakia URS 1936 Sergei Borisovich Krylov (USSR) Poland, USSR Poland 1928 Jerzy Langrod pl Jerzy Stefan Langrod sup (Poland) Poland, Ukrainian SSR, USSR Haiti 1859 Abel Leger (Haiti) Haiti Dominican Republic Arturo Logroño es sup (Dominican Republic) Dominican Republic HON 1898 Julián López Pineda de sup (Honduras) Honduras COL Carlos Lozano y Lozano es (Colombia) Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela UK Arnold McNair (United Kingdom) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Turkey, United Kingdom GRE royal George Maridakis el Γεώργιος Μαριδάκης sup (Greece) Greece URU Martín C. Martínez (Uruguay) Uruguay NZ Michael Myers (New Zealand) New Zealand VEN 1930 Caracciolo Parra Pérez es sup (Venezuela) Venezuela, United States URS 1936 Ivan Sergeyevich Peretersky ru Перетерский, Иван Сергеевич sup (USSR) USSR VEN 1930 Néstor Luis Pérez es sup (Venezuela) Venezuela ITA 1861 Massimo Pilotti (Italy) France ARG 1861 Luis Podestá Costa es sup (Argentina) Argentina Byelorussian SSR 1937 Nikolai Polyansky Nikolai Nikolayevich Polyansky ru Полянский, Николай Николаевич (юрист) sup (Byelorussian SSR) UKR Byelorussian SSR Guatemala 1871 Miguel Prado Solares (Guatemala) Guatemala (withdrawn) CAN 1921 John Erskine Read (Canada) Canada Bolivia Julio Salmón (Bolivia) Bolivia TUR Muammer Raşit Seviğ tr sup (Turkey) Turkey GRE royal Jean Spiropoulos (Greece) Greece, United States Ecuador 1900 José Luis Tamayo (Ecuador) Ecuador Cuba Cosme de la Torriente (Cuba) Cuba Dominican Republic Manuel de Jesus Troncoso de la Concha (Dominican Republic) Dominican Republic Bolivia José Macedonio Urquidi es sup (Bolivia) Bolivia COL Francisco José Urrutia (Colombia) Colombia PAR 1842 Celso Ramon Velázquez (Paraguay) Paraguay NED Jan Hendrik Willem Verzijl nl sup (Netherlands) Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands Peru 1884 Manuel Vicente Villarán es sup (Peru) Peru BEL Charles de Visscher (Belgium) Argentina, Belgium, Ethiopia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom POL 1928 Bohdan Winiarski (Poland) Poland IND British Muhammad Zafarullah Khan (India) India, United Kingdom Nicaragua 1908 Maximo Zepeda (Nicaragua) Nicaragua YUG Milovan Zoričić (Yugoslavia) Ukrainian SSR, United Kingdom, USSR, Yugoslavia Egypt 1922 Youssef Zulficar Pasha (Egypt) Egypt, Iraq (withdrawn), Saudi Arabia, Syria Election procedure International Court of Justice#Election procedure As the 1946 election was the first of its kind, some aspects of the rules of procedure were yet to be finalized. According to the Statute, ICJ judges are elected through parallel procedures at the General Assembly and the Security Council. To be elected, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority of votes both in the General Assembly and in the Security Council. At the time, 26 votes constituted an absolute majority in the General Assembly and 6 votes constituted an absolute majority in the Security Council (with no distinction being made between permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council). Results Vote 1 Candidates General AssemblyA/PV.23 23rd plenary meeting – Election of the Judges of the International Court of Justice A 6 February 1946 9 August 2026 majority = 26 Security CouncilS/PV.9 9th meeting – Election of the judges of the International Court of Justice S 6 February 1946 9 August 2026 majority = 6 Brazil 1889 Hildebrando Accioly"announced" Accioly, Cheng and van den Heever were still listed on the revised list of candidates distributed on 24 January. A footnote for Cheng stated that he had written he would "not be able to accept a position as judge" of the court.3 A footnote for van den Heever stated that his nomination had been withdrawn by the national group of South Africa.4 All three appeared on the printed ballots.1 The president of the General Assembly announced that they "do not desire a seat" on the court,3 whereas the president of the Security Council announced that their "nominations [...] have been withdrawn".1 withdrawn Uruguay Eduardo Blanco Acevedo 6 1 Iran 1925 Mostafa Adl 13 1 Iraq 1924 Nasrat al-Farisi ar نصرت الفارسي sup 2 0 Syria 1932 Fares al-Khoury 2 0 Spain 1945 Rafael Altamira 9 1 Chile Alejandro Álvarez 31 7 Costa Rica 1906 Luis Anderson es Luis Anderson Morúa sup 9 1 Brazil 1889 Philadelpho Azevedo 31 9 Egypt 1922 Abdel Hamid Badawi Pasha 30 10 Australia Kenneth Hamilton Bailey 18 6 Ecuador 1900 Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno 0 0 France 1848b Jules Basdevant 39 10 Costa Rica 1906 Octavio Béeche Argüello 1 0 Turkey Cemil Bilsel 6 0 UK James Leslie Brierly 0 0 Cuba Antonio Sánchez de Bustamante y Sirven 6 0 Honduras 1898 Julián Ríos Cáceres es sup 9 0 Lebanon 1943 Choucri Cardahi fr sup 0 0 Haiti 1859 Victor Cauvin 2 0 China 1928 Cheng Tien-Hsi"announced" withdrawn Chile Miguel Cruchaga Tocornal 0 0 Iran 1925 Ahmad Matin-Daftari 0 0 South Africa 1928 Reginald Percy Basil Davis 8 1 Philippines 1936 Francisco Delgado 13 0 Bolivia Eduardo Díez de Medina 0 0 Mexico 1934 Isidro Fabela Alfaro 33 8 TCH Vladimír Fajnor sk sup 1 0 Guatemala 1871 Jose Falla Aris"unlisted" Falla Aris, Gallego, Jabr and Prado Solares were listed neither on the revised list of candidates distributed on 24 January nor on the ballots, as their only nomination (by their own country's national group) had been withdrawn. withdrawn USA 1912 Charles Fenwick 0 0 Philippines 1936 Manuel Gallego"unlisted" withdrawn Peru 1884 Arturo García Salazar es sup 0 0 El Salvador José Gustavo Guerrero 34 6 USA 1912 Green Hackworth 32 8 South Africa 1928 Francois Petrus van den Heever"announced" 1Van den Heever received a vote in the General Assembly5 despite the president's announcement that he did not "desire a seat".3 0 China 1928 Hsu Mo 41 11 USA 1912 Manley Hudson 10 1 UK Cecil Hurst 2 0 Iraq 1924 Salih Jabr"unlisted" withdrawn Philippines 1936 Mariano Honrade de Joya 2 1 Norway Helge Klæstad 21 6 YUG Mihailo Konstantinović sr sup 4 0 Ukrainian SSR 1937 Vladimir Koretsky de Wladimir Michailowitsch Korezki Vladimir Mikhailovich Koretsky sup 0 0 TCH Jan Krčmář cs sup 3 0 URS 1936 Sergei Borisovich Krylov 34 11 Poland 1928 Jerzy Langrod pl Jerzy Stefan Langrod sup 2 0 Haiti 1859 Abel Leger 5 0 Dominican Republic Arturo Logroño es sup 0 0 HON 1898 Julián López Pineda de sup 0 0 COL Carlos Lozano y Lozano es 15 2 UK Arnold McNair 34 10 GRE royal George Maridakis el Γεώργιος Μαριδάκης sup 1 0 URU Martín C. Martínez 1 0 NZ Michael Myers 4 1 VEN 1930 Caracciolo Parra Pérez es sup 14 1 URS 1936 Ivan Sergeyevich Peretersky ru Перетерский, Иван Сергеевич sup 1 0 VEN 1930 Néstor Luis Pérez es sup 1 2 ITA 1861 Massimo Pilotti 0 1 ARG 1861 Luis Podestá Costa es sup 30 5 Byelorussian SSR 1937 Nikolai Polyansky Nikolai Nikolayevich Polyansky ru Полянский, Николай Николаевич (юрист) sup 1 0 Guatemala 1871 Miguel Prado Solares"unlisted" withdrawn CAN 1921 John Erskine Read 27 8 Bolivia Julio Salmón 0 0 TUR Muammer Raşit Seviğ tr sup 1 0 GRE royal Jean Spiropoulos 18 4 Ecuador 1900 José Luis Tamayo 0 0 Cuba Cosme de la Torriente 2 0 Dominican Republic Manuel de Jesus Troncoso de la Concha 0 0 Bolivia José Macedonio Urquidi es sup 1 0 COL Francisco José Urrutia 0 0 PAR 1842 Celso Ramon Velázquez 1 0 NED Jan Hendrik Willem Verzijl nl sup 8 5 Peru 1884 Manuel Vicente Villarán es sup 0 0 BEL Charles de Visscher 40 9 POL 1928 Bohdan Winiarski 19 5 IND British Muhammad Zafarullah Khan 27 4 Nicaragua 1908 Maximo Zepeda 6 0 YUG Milovan Zoričić 26 8 Egypt 1922 Youssef Zulficar Pasha 0 0 Thirteen candidates received an absolute majority of votes in both bodies and were thus elected to the Court. Two seats were to be filled through further rounds of voting. Further votes (Candidates who did not receive a vote in any of the further ballots are not listed.) Candidates General Assembly A/PV.24 24th plenary meeting – Election of the Judges of the International Court of Justice A 6 February 1946 9 August 2026A/PV.25 25th plenary meeting – Election of the Judges of the International Court of Justice A 6 February 1946 9 August 2026 majority = 26 Security Council majority = 6 Vote 2 Vote 3 Vote 4 Vote 2 Vote 3 Vote 4 Iran 1925 Mostafa Adl 0 1 1 1 0 0 Australia Kenneth Hamilton Bailey 15 15 12 3 1 1 Turkey Cemil Bilsel 2 0 0 0 0 0 Honduras 1898 Julián Ríos Cáceres es sup 1 2 0 0 0 0 Iran 1925 Ahmad Matin-Daftari 0 0  1 0 0 0 Philippines 1936 Francisco Delgado 2 4 1 0 0 0 Peru 1884 Arturo García Salazar es sup 1 0 0 0 0 0 Norway Helge Klæstad 16 30 - 5 8 - YUG Mihailo Konstantinović sr sup 0 0 1 0 0 0 Poland 1928 Jerzy Langrod pl Jerzy Stefan Langrod sup 1 0 0 0 0 0 COL Carlos Lozano y Lozano es 1 0 0 0 0 0 ARG 1861 Luis Podestá Costa es sup 4 3 1 0 0 0 TUR Muammer Raşit Seviğ tr sup 0 1 0 0 0 0 GRE royal Jean Spiropoulos 10 3 0 1 0 0 NED Jan Hendrik Willem Verzijl nl sup 11 8 0 3 1 2 POL 1928 Bohdan Winiarski 18 24 26 7 - 8 IND British Muhammad Zafarullah Khan 15 11 7 2 1 0 At the second vote, Mr Winiarski obtained an absolute majority of votes in the Security Council, and no candidate could obtain an absolute majority of votes in the General Assembly. After the second vote, debates followed both in the Council and the Assembly, seeking to clarify the procedure to be followed. The Statute provided that if vacancies remain after the first meeting, the two organs proceed, again independently of one another, at a second meeting and, if necessary, a third meeting to elect candidates by further ballots for seats remaining vacant, the results again being compared after the required number of candidates have obtained an absolute majority in each organ. If after the third meeting, one or more seats still remain unfilled, the General Assembly and the Security Council may form a joint conference consisting of six members, three appointed by each organ. This joint conference may, by an absolute majority, agree upon one name for each seat still vacant and submit the name for the respective acceptance of the General Assembly and the Security Council. The discussion therefore arose as to whether each round of voting should count as one meeting, or whether several rounds of voting may be held at one meeting – in other words, whether the next round of voting at each body would constitute the third meeting following which a joint conference could be formed. The General Assembly proceeded on the understanding that each round of voting is a separate meeting. At its third vote, Mr Klæstad received an absolute majority of votes. The Security Council proceeded on the opposite understanding and took a third vote without the candidature of Mr Winiarski, who had obtained an absolute majority at the second vote. Mr Klæstad received an absolute majority of votes and was declared elected. The Assembly then discussed whether a joint conference was to be formed, but decided to go on with the fourth round of voting. Mr Winiarski obtained an absolute majority of votes. The Security Council then proceeded on its fourth round of voting and confirmed an absolute majority of votes in favour of Mr Winiarski who was thus also elected. In future elections, this procedure would be streamlined in order to avoid this sort of confusion. Composition of the Court Following the election, lots were drawn in order to determine which judges were to sit a nine-year term, a six-year term and a three-year term, so as to allow a re-election of one third of the judges every three years.A/PV.26 26th plenary meeting – Election of the Judges of the International Court of Justice A 6 February 1946 9 August 2026 The final composition of the Court, with indication of the length of judges' terms, was as follows: Judge Term starts / renewed Term ends Egypt 1922 Abdel Hamid Badawi Pasha 1946 1949 China 1928 Hsu Mo 1946 1949 CAN 1921 John Read 1946 1949 POL 1928 Bohdan Winiarski 1946 1949 YUG Milovan Zoričić 1946 1949 Mexico 1934 Isidro Fabela Alfaro 1946 1952 USA 1912 Green Hackworth 1946 1952 Norway Helge Klæstad 1946 1952 URS 1936 Sergei Krylov 1946 1952 BEL Charles de Visscher 1946 1952 Chile Alejandro Álvarez 1946 1955 Brazil 1889 Philadelpho Azevedo 1946 1955 France 1848b Jules Basdevant 1946 1955 El Salvador José Gustavo Guerrero 1946 1955 UK Arnold McNair 1946 1955 The election to fill the vacancies that would open in 1949 was held in 1948, launching the now standard three-year cycle of ICJ elections. References 1946 International Court of Justice