Judge Florence Ndepele Mwachande Mumba (Zambia) was sworn in today through a video link connecting Arusha, Tanzania to The Hague. The ceremony was administered by the President of the Appeals Chamber, Judge Theodor Meron (USA), at The Hague, and witnessed by the Registrar of the Tribunal, Mr. Adama Dieng, in Arusha, on behalf of the UN Secretary-General.
Both Mr. Dieng and Judge Meron commended the video communication link. They recognized it as historic, saying it was making a reality the sisterhood of the two Tribunals in their noble goals towards promoting international justice.
Judge Mumba began her national career in 1973 as an assigned counsel at a trial court before becoming an assigned counsel at a trial/appeals court in 1975. In 1977, she was assigned counsel at the Supreme Court. She became the Director of the Department of Legal Aid in 1978 and was appointed to sit on the bench at a trial court in 1980 before becoming President of several ad hoc national investigation commissions. In 1989 she was appointed Ombudsman, a post which she held until her appointment to the Supreme Court of Zambia in 1997. The same year she joined the ICTY where between 1999 and 2001 she served as Vice-President.
Judge Mumba is a member of the International Commission of Jurists. She has also been a member of various national and international commissions such as the Commission of the Law Development of Zambia (1976 to 1979), the Council of Law Reporting Editorial Board of Zambia (1981 to 1983), the Council of Legal Education (1985 to 1990), the Electoral Commission (1992 to 1994), and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (1992 to 1995).
Judge Mumba participated in various committees, such as the Committee of Legal Experts for the Protocol to the African Charter which was working on the Establishment of an African Court on Human Rights organised in South Africa in 1995. She also took part in the Sixth World Conference of Ombudsmen as African Regional Director and Vice-President of the International Institute of Ombudsmen held in Argentina in 1996. Judge Mumba has a wide experience in civil and criminal litigation.
After the ceremony, Judge Mumba said she felt greatly honoured and humbled by her new appointment and promised to serve the Appeal’s Chamber with integrity and impartiality.