Professor Olufemi Elias, MA (Oxon), LLM (Cantab), PhD (London)

Profile

Dr Olufemi Elias is a Visiting Professor in international law at Queen Mary University of London. He is currently a judge ad hoc at the International Court of Justice. He is the President of the Administrative Tribunal of the OPEC Fund in Vienna, Austria, the Chairman of the Administrative Tribunal of the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is a member of the Institut de Droit International. He advises international organizations and States on legal issues, including litigation before international courts and tribunals.

Dr Elias served as Registrar (United Nations Assistant Secretary-General) of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague, the Netherlands, and in Arusha, Tanzania. He was previously the Legal Adviser and Director of the Legal Office at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague. Prior to that he was the Executive Secretary of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal in Washington D.C. He had worked earlier at the United Nations Compensation Commission in Geneva, serving as a legal adviser in the secretariat of its Governing Council, and subsequently as Special Assistant to the Commission’s Executive Secretary.

Earlier in his career he was a lecturer in international law at King’s College London, and has taught international law at other universities around the world. He has written and edited several books and articles on various aspects of international law. He received the 2018 Honorary Membership award from the American Society of International Law for distinguished service to international law.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford, a Master of Law in international law from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate in international law from University College London. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar.

Research