Tukkievaria caught up with the first appointed South African judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Prof Dire Tladi of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Law, who shared his background and his reaction to his appointment.

What does this appointment mean to you?

It means a lot to me. Every international lawyer dreams of being a judge on the ICJ. To be the first South African is bittersweet because, while it certainly makes it more special, I am also reminded that others before me, who may have been equally, perhaps even more deserving, did not get the chance. I am thinking in particular of John Dugard, who also put my name forward to the government.

I am grateful to the team that put in the hard work to make this happen. Obviously, the leadership of the government – the President, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and the Director-General. I am also grateful to officials at various South African missions abroad, in particular, but certainly not exclusively; our multilateral missions in The Hague, Geneva, Vienna and New York; and the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

But there are three people in particular that must be mentioned by name: Romi Brammer, Jaymion Hendricks and Masotsha Mnguni. Their dedication to the cause was immeasurable. 

What are a few of the responsibilities of a judge of the International Court of Justice?

Mainly to hear the cases, whether contentious or advisory, before the court and to contribute to the judgement of the court. In some cases, I may have to pen a dissenting or separate opinion, but hopefully not too often.

What position do you hold at UP?

I am based at Future Africa and I hold the National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in International Constitutional Law and the Future Africa Chair in Global Equity in Africa

Could you tell us more about your academic and professional experience?

I started off as a junior lecturer at UP in 1997 and left in 2002, when I was a senior lecturer. I went to UNISA, where I became an associate professor and Head of Department. In 2006, I joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (now DIRCO) as Principal State Law Advisor, and was later posted to New York as legal advisor to the SA Permanent Mission in New York. I subsequently served as Special Advisor to the then Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana Mashabane. I returned to UP as a professor in 2014. I served as a member of the United Nations International Law Commission from 2012 to 2022, and was its Chair in 2022. I was also its Special Rapporteur on jus cogens from 2015 to 2022. I have acted as counsel before international courts and tribunals. These are just a few things I can mention, but in short, I have had a very rich career in international law.

How many publications have you written?

I have well over 100 academic publications, and I don’t think I can pick one that I find most fascinating. But I have also written fiction – Blood in the Sand of Justice and its sequel, Sins of the Father – and those have been labours of love. I am more attached to Blood in the Sand of Justice, because that’s where I developed my style, and it is there that I developed the protagonist for both books. But I think Sins of the Father is overall a better book, in part because of the experience of having written the first book.

How many doctoral students do you supervise, what are the most prevalent challenges and how do you solve them?

I have had about nine PhDs graduating. I currently have four whose PhDs are either being examined or who are looking to submit in the next two or three months. Outside of these, I have six PhDs.

Each student brings their own challenges, so it’s hard to speak of prevalent challenges. I will say, though, that one thing I have learned as a supervisor is that the art of writing is not easy. I have developed a little metaphor for writing that I give to my students. It's called building a house. And writing is very much like building a house. Of course, in fiction, it is possible to break (or bend) this rule, so that it is conceivable to find the bathtub in the kitchen, but in academic writing, the rules of building a house have to be adhered to more closely.

As a child, what profession did you see yourself in?

When I was younger, I wanted to become a basketball player. I was a huge fan of Michael Jordan. My teammates on the Mmabatho High School basketball team called me Jordan, not because of my talent levels, but because of my admiration for the guy. The talent levels for basketball were not there, so I picked the next best thing – law.

What do you enjoy most about your job and why?

Connecting with young people who are passionate about learning and hearing their perspectives on legal issues. I think a young person’s potential can be realised when given the time, opportunities and resources to explore their ideas and goals. I also get to meet a lot of interesting people, with different world views and experiences that I can share with my students and contribute to my ideas for my research.

What is your least favourite part of the job?

Bureaucracy, academic politics, admin and such things. On academic politics, there is a truism in our circles – the academics’ attempt at self-flagellation: “Academic politics are so fierce because the stakes are so low.” I don’t think it is completely accurate that the stakes are low, but the politics can be unnecessarily fierce.

Do you have any words of encouragement for up-and-coming legal eagles?

Work hard, don’t chase money (it will chase you if you don’t chase it) and, most importantly, enjoy what you do. You are more likely to work hard if you enjoy what you do.

What do you do in your free time?

I read, write (fiction), shoot some hoops, watch movies, study French on Duolingo and spend time with loved ones.

Quick quiz:

Sport: Basketball and football

Food: I don’t know anymore … ah, wait, fries 

Movies Unthinkable, The Shawshank Redemption, The Last Samurai, Life Itself and Miss Sloane

All-time hero: Michael Jordan