Rosalyn Higgins, Lady Higgins

Judge Rosalyn Higgins QC has been a member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) since 1995 and was elected President in February 2006. She is the first (and thus far the only) woman elected to the Court. Prior to assuming the Presidency of the ICJ Judge Higgins was Chairman of its Rules Committee, which deals with the working methods of the Court and relevant issues. Before coming to the Court, she was Professor of Public International Law at the University of London (London School of Economics). She practiced public international law and petroleum law, appearing before the English Courts and various international tribunals, including the ICJ, the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of European Communities. She took Silk (Queen’s Council) in 1986 and became a Bencher of the Inner Temple in 1989. She was a member of the Committee on Human Rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1985–1995) and is a Vice-President of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. Judge Higgins is the author of various works, including: The Development of International Law through the Political Organs of the United Nations (1963); UN Peacekeeping: Documents and Commentary, Vol. I: Middle East (1969), Vol. II: Asia (1970), Vol. III: Africa (1980), and Vol. IV: Europe (1981); and Problems and Process: International Law and How we Use It (1994).