Controversial Japanese judge dies in office

Fumiko Saiga, the Japanese judge at the International Criminal Court, died today after a short illness. She was 65 and had served as a judge for little more than a year.

The court paid generous tribute to her. “Her sharp legal acumen and dedication to impartial justice, coupled with her balance and grace, made her an eminently capable jurist,” said Judge Sang-Hyun Song, the court's president. “Judge Saiga will forever be remembered for her critical contributions to international criminal justice.”

No doubt. But her death will give the Japanese a chance to consider whether it might be appropriate to nominate someone with judicial experience as her successor. Failing that, might it not be a good idea to find someone with legal training?

Before joining the court, Judge Saiga spent most of her working life as a diplomat, with a brief interlude in local government. I know the courts of England and Wales rely on heavily lay magistrates and lay juries, but surely someone who is going to have to give binding legal rulings in court without the assistance of a legal adviser needs some experience as a lawyer?

Posted at April 24, 2009 09:28 PM