P-5 privileges breached as UK blinks & Indian judge Bhandari elected to ICJ

The UK withdraws its candidate, leaving the field clear for Dalveer Bhandari, who had the overwhelming support of the UNGA

In a last-minute move at the United Nations on Monday afternoon EST, Britain withdrew its candidate for the International Court of Justice, leaving the field clear for Indian candidate Dalveer Bhandari to win the requisite majority in both the UN General Assembly and Security Council and be re-elected to the UN’s principal judicial organ.

This marks the first time that the UK has not been part of the ICJ since its inception in 1946 and breaks an unwritten rule – taken for granted by the big powers and the rest of the world – that the five permanent members of the Security Council (the P-5) are guaranteed a seat at the world court.

The news of Bhandari’s victory was broken on Twitter almost immediately by Syed Akbaruddin, Indian ambassador to the UN and principal coordinator of India’s ICJ campaign.