Malawi withdraws ICC judicial candidate
Tujilane Chizumila was nominated in March but removed from the race before December elections.
Malawi has withdrawn its candidate, Ms Tujilane Chizumila, from the running for a position as a judge at the International Criminal Court. The Embassy of the Republic of Malawi announced the decision on 20 October 2026, removing the country from contention in the court’s ninth election of judges. The ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of States Parties, recorded the withdrawal in official documents on the same day.
Ms Chizumila was nominated by the Government of Malawi in a communication dated 27 March 2026. The notice of withdrawal provided no specific reason for the decision. Judges at the ICC, which is based in The Hague, are elected by member states for nine-year terms.
The election of new judges is scheduled to occur during the twenty-fifth session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York. This session is set to run from 7 to 17 December 2026. The ICC prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.
Why it mattersMalawi will not have a representative on the International Criminal Court after withdrawing its nominated candidate.