Joan Donoghue
Encyclopedia
Joan E. Donoghue is an American jurist, currently serving as a Judge on the International Court of Justice
, having been elected to that post in 2010.
Donoghue graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz
, with honors degrees in Russian Studies
and in Biology
, in 1978, and the Boalt Hall School of Law, of the University of California, Berkeley
, with her Juris Doctor, in 1981. In the 1980s, Donoghue acted as attorney-advisor for the US in Nicaragua v. United States.
She was the General Counsel of Freddie Mac, and, more recently, the Deputy Legal Adviser at the United States State Department.
Donoghue was elected to the ICJ on September 9, 2010 to fill the place left vacant by the resignation of Thomas Buergenthal
. Pursuant to the Statute of the International Court of Justice
, Donoghue will fill the remainder of the nine-year term for which Buergenthal had been elected; thus Donoghue's term now expires on February 5, 2015.
Donoghue's name had been the only nomination for this ICJ vacancy received by the Secretary-General within the specified time. (After the expiration of the deadline for submissions of nominations, the Secretariat received communications from the national group of Colombia also nominating a candidate.)
In the General Assembly, Donoghue received 159 votes out of 167 valid ballots (there were 8 abstentions). In the Security Council, she received all 15 votes.
Donoghue was officially sworn in as a member of the ICJ on September 13, 2010.
Although the ICJ was established in 1945, Donoghue is only the third woman ever elected to be a member of the Court. Of the Court's 15 members, two are now female (the other is Xue Hanqin
, sworn in on the same day as Donoghue).
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, having been elected to that post in 2010.
Donoghue graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
, with honors degrees in Russian Studies
Russian Studies
Russian studies is a field of study first developed during the Cold War. It is an interdisciplinary field crossing history and language studies. It is closely related to Soviet and Communist studies...
and in Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, in 1978, and the Boalt Hall School of Law, of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, with her Juris Doctor, in 1981. In the 1980s, Donoghue acted as attorney-advisor for the US in Nicaragua v. United States.
She was the General Counsel of Freddie Mac, and, more recently, the Deputy Legal Adviser at the United States State Department.
Donoghue was elected to the ICJ on September 9, 2010 to fill the place left vacant by the resignation of Thomas Buergenthal
Thomas Buergenthal
Thomas Buergenthal is a former judge of the International Court of Justice. He resigned his post as of 6 September 2010. Buergenthal is returning to his position as Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at The George Washington University Law School...
. Pursuant to the Statute of the International Court of Justice
Statute of the International Court of Justice
The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the United Nations Charter, as specified by Chapter XIV of the United Nations Charter...
, Donoghue will fill the remainder of the nine-year term for which Buergenthal had been elected; thus Donoghue's term now expires on February 5, 2015.
Donoghue's name had been the only nomination for this ICJ vacancy received by the Secretary-General within the specified time. (After the expiration of the deadline for submissions of nominations, the Secretariat received communications from the national group of Colombia also nominating a candidate.)
In the General Assembly, Donoghue received 159 votes out of 167 valid ballots (there were 8 abstentions). In the Security Council, she received all 15 votes.
Donoghue was officially sworn in as a member of the ICJ on September 13, 2010.
Although the ICJ was established in 1945, Donoghue is only the third woman ever elected to be a member of the Court. Of the Court's 15 members, two are now female (the other is Xue Hanqin
Xue Hanqin
Xue Hanqin is a judge at the International Court of Justice. On 29 June 2010 she was elected to fill the vacancy created by Shi Jiuyong's resignation on 28 May 2010. She is one of two female judges serving on the ICJ and one of only three women elected as members of the Court to date...
, sworn in on the same day as Donoghue).