The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is proud to announce the appointment of six distinguished jurists as new Commissioners, joining a global body of legal experts dedicated to promoting human rights through the rule of law.
Their appointment comes at a critical time. Around the world, human rights are increasingly under threat from rising authoritarian populism and attacks on democratic institutions and the rule of law. Our new Commissioners bring not only their expertise but also a deep personal commitment to confronting these challenges and strengthening international human rights standards through their leadership and vision.
The new Commissioners will contribute with a wealth of experience from diverse legal, judicial, academic, and human rights backgrounds. Their expertise spans constitutional law, international criminal justice, transitional justice, and judicial reform, with professional roots in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. This diversity reflects the ICJ’s global mandate and reinforces its commitment to inclusive and representative legal leadership.
ICJ Secretary-General Santiago Canton welcomed the appointments, stating:
“These jurists embody the ICJ’s values of independence, integrity, and legal excellence. Their contributions will be vital as we confront growing threats to the rule of law and human rights worldwide.”
Commissioners play a central role in guiding the ICJ’s strategic direction, providing expert advice on legal interventions, and amplifying the organization’s voice in international forums. Their work strengthens the ICJ’s ability to respond to legal challenges in real time, support national judiciaries, and advocate for justice and accountability.
The new appointments will bolster the ICJ’s work beyond Geneva, supporting legal teams and partners in regional offices and field programmes. This expanded capacity will enhance the ICJ’s impact in countries facing democratic backsliding, judicial interference, and human rights violations.
The ICJ looks forward to the leadership and insight the new Commissioners will bring as it continues its mission to uphold the rule of law and protect human dignity across the globe.
Meet the Commissioners
Beth Van Schaack served as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice from 2022 to 2025. She previously held the position of Deputy to the Ambassador-at-Large in the same office from 2012 to 2013. She is currently a Distinguished Fellow with the Center for Human Rights & International Justice at Stanford University. Ambassador Van Schaack was the Leah Kaplan Visiting Professor in Human Rights at Stanford Law School, where she taught international criminal law, human rights, human trafficking, and led a policy lab on legal and policy tools for preventing atrocities. She also directed Stanford’s International Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Clinic.
“I have long admired the work of the International Commission of Jurists, and I’m honored to now call myself a member at this critical time in human history when the rule of law is under assault on so many fronts. I look forward to contributing to the work of the ICJ to advance justice globally alongside so many experts from around the world.”
Lawrence Mute is an accomplished human rights lawyer and practitioner with 29 years of experience working at the sub-national, national, continental, and international levels. His areas of expertise include international and regional human rights, disability justice, gender justice, sexual minority rights, prevention of torture, freedom of expression, and legal drafting. He currently teaches and researches at the Faculty of Law of the University of Nairobi and is the Chief Adviser of ALT Advisory.
“Being elected an ICJ Commissioner is a great honour and privilege. ICJ’s aims resonate well with my goal of continuing to put my very best effort towards the protection and promotion of human rights at the international and continental levels. As a person with disability myself, I am particularly concerned to support causes that seek to ensure non-discrimination for marginalised populations around the world.”
Anne Ramberg is a prominent Swedish lawyer who served as Secretary General of the Swedish Bar Association from 2000 to 2019, following a career as a practicing attorney. She became one of the most influential voices in Sweden and Europe on issues related to the rule of law, judicial independence, and legal ethics. She currently serves as a conciliator and alternate member of the Bureau of the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE, as an ad hoc judge at the European Court of Human Rights and is also the chair of the Stockholm Criminology Prize Foundation.
Mona Rishmawi is currently serving as a Member of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Sudan. A seasoned senior United Nations official, she most recently headed the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria in Damascus (2022–2023). Her career has spanned some of the UN’s most challenging human rights and rule of law roles, and she previously ran the ICJ’s Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.
“At a time when the rule of law and human rights face profound challenges, I am deeply honoured to join the International Commission of Jurists. These are not abstract ideals — they are the essential foundations of peace, stability, and prosperity, and must be defended with courage and renewed resolve. Together with fellow jurists from around the world, I look forward to strengthening these pillars so they truly serve people everywhere and safeguard the dignity, security, and justice of future generations.”
Roberta Clarke is a Barbadian lawyer and international human rights advocate. She served as UN Women’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific and as UN Women Representative in Thailand, where she led regional initiatives on gender equality, rule of law, and women’s empowerment.
“Globally, we face momentous challenges to rule of law, human rights and multilateralism. This is therefore the time for solidarity, and an insistence on democratic institutionality and in particular the independence of judiciaries.
The dynamism of the ICJ is needed more than ever, a dynamism that comes from its global reach and human rights-based perspectives. I am honoured to rejoin the Commission, coming from the Caribbean, to both learn from and share practices of constructive engagement with the state in the defence of human rights.”
Laurence Burgorgue-Larsen is a Professor of Law at the Sorbonne Law School, the Director of the legal collection Cahiers européens published by Éditions Pedone, and serves on the Advisory Board of numerous legal journals. Her areas of expertise include human rights law, comparative constitutional law, and European and international law.
“I am delighted and honored to join the ranks of the International Commission of Jurists, whose very DNA is to defend the independence of the judiciary worldwide. In these troubled times, when judges are subjected to both institutional and individual attacks, it is more necessary than ever to continue fighting to ensure that the separation of powers remains at the heart of the functioning of States. As a former constitutional judge on the one hand, and as a professor who examines in depth in my research the importance of the judiciary, I believe I bring both practical and theoretical expertise to the defense of judicial independence and, more broadly, to the protection of fundamental rights in general.”
