The Residual Special Court has learned with deep sadness of the death of Justice Emmanuel Olayinka Ayoola. He passed away peacefully on Tuesday, 20 August at his home in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Justice Ayoola was a distinguished jurist and a Judge of the Special Court’s Appeals Chamber from the Court’s inception in 2002 until it completed its mandate in 2013. He served as President of the Special Court from May 2004 to May 2005. He also served four terms as Vice President and four terms as Staff Appeals Judge.
RSCSL President Justice Richard Lussick recalled Justice Ayoola as “a very fine judge who was a great champion of human rights and the advancement of international criminal law.” Registrar Binta Mansaray has conveyed President Lussick’s condolences to Justice Ayoola’s family on behalf of the Court and Oversight Committee.
Justice Ayoola was appointed to the Special Court by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. As a Judge of the Appeals Chamber, Justice Ayoola contributed to the landmark jurisprudence of the Special Court, which included jurisprudence on forced marriage, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and attacks directed against UN peacekeepers. As Staff Appeals Judge, Justice Ayoola issued decisions that improved the proper administration of the Special Court.
In May 2005, during his presidency, Justice Ayoola addressed the United Nations Security Council, urging them not to let the Special Court fail because, he said, such a failure would send a wrong message to those struggling to combat a culture of impunity, and would undermine respect for human rights and international law.
Prior to joining the Special Court, Justice Ayoola served as Judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, President of the Seychelles Court of Appeal, and Chief Justice of the Gambia. He served as Vice President of the World Judge’s Association, and in 1966 he received the UN Human Rights Fellowship award. He was a graduate of London and Oxford Universities.
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The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone is responsible for the ongoing legal obligations of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which concluded its mandate in December 2013. These include supervision of prison sentences, witness protection and support, maintenance and preservation of the archives, and assistance to national prosecution authorities.
