Rosalyn
Higgins made legal history by becoming the first woman to be elected as
a judge of the International Court of Justice. She had previously argued
several major cases before the Court, most notably serving as Britain's
counsel in the Lockerbie case. Prior to becoming a Member of the Court,
she was Professor of International Law at the University of London from
1981-95, and earlier held positions at the Royal Institute of International
Affairs, the London School of Economics, and the University of Kent at
Canterbury. As a Queen's Counsel and Bencher of the Inner Temple, she
has practiced public international law and petroleum law in the English
Court and before various international tribunals. She has held offices
in many professional organizations and served as Honorary Vice-President
of the American Society of International Law (1993) and as Chairman of
the Public International Law Advisory Board, British Institute for International
and Comparative Law since 1992. Judge Higgins has published various works
and articles on international legal theory, United Nations law, the use
of force, State and diplomatic immunities, human rights and international
petroleum law. Her most recent publication is an edited compilation on
Terrorism and International Law (1997).
