The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) has circulated a legal memorandum to the diplomatic missions of UN Member States attending the ongoing session of the General Assembly in New York, urging them to take urgent measures regarding statements made by the Vice-President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Julia Sebutinde. The PRC characterises these remarks as an “ideological bias” in favour of Israel, undermining the Court’s impartiality in the genocide case concerning Gaza.

This step comes at a critical juncture, coinciding with the General Assembly session, as the PRC seeks to draw attention to the grave implications of such statements for international confidence in the global justice system. The memorandum stresses that Judge Sebutinde’s words cannot be dismissed as a mere personal opinion but rather reflect a potential association with a partisan ideological current that directly contravenes the duty of international judges to maintain neutrality and independence.

The memorandum highlights Judge Sebutinde’s public intervention on 10 August 2025 during a religious event in Kampala, Uganda, where she stated: “The Lord is counting on me to stand on the side of Israel.” She further linked the conflict in the Middle East to signs of the “end times” according to her theological interpretation. The memorandum explains that these statements were made at Watoto Church, a prominent evangelical church in Uganda that espouses Christian Zionist theology supportive of Israel. Its founder has previously declared that his church “gives a great deal of money to Israel every year.”

The memorandum further underscores that the UN General Assembly plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the impartiality and independence of the ICJ. Under the Court’s Statute, the General Assembly shares responsibility with the Security Council for the election of judges, which gives it both a political and moral duty to monitor the Court’s performance and ensure its independence. Consequently, proactive engagement by diplomatic missions in this matter is essential to preserving international trust in the Court and its ability to adjudicate major cases with neutrality.

In a public statement, the PRC’s Director, Dr. Tarek Hamoud, said:

“The circulation of this memorandum during the General Assembly session is not a symbolic step, but an urgent appeal to Member States to assume their responsibility in protecting the highest judicial organ of the United Nations. The world cannot remain silent while the impartiality of the Court is undermined at the very moment it is adjudicating a documented case of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Judge Sebutinde’s claim that she is ‘religiously mandated’ to side with Israel not only flagrantly disregards the judicial duty of impartiality but also threatens the legitimacy of any future judgment and erodes public confidence in international justice as a whole. We call for serious international action to ensure that the Court remains the legal conscience of the world, not a platform for justifying oppression under an ideological guise.”

The legal memorandum calls on Member State missions to take concrete and urgent steps, including raising the issue in General Assembly meetings to highlight its seriousness, supporting the initiation of an internal investigation at the Court into the judge’s compliance with her judicial obligations, and working to secure her temporary recusal from all cases concerning Palestine as a safeguard for procedural integrity. It also urges States to submit written objections to the Court expressing their rejection of her participation in such cases.

The PRC concludes its memorandum by emphasising that these demands are not a personal attack, but a necessary step to protect the Court’s integrity, safeguard the rights of Palestinian victims, and ensure continued international confidence in global justice at this critical moment.