Judge Silvia Alejandra FERNÁNDEZ DE GURMENDI (Argentina)

Judge as of 20 January 2010, for a term of eight years and two months (to fill a judicial vacancy). Assigned to the Pre-Trial Division. Elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group of States (GRULAC), list A.

Judge Fernández de Gurmendi (1954) has over 20 years practice of international and humanitarian law and in human rights. Coming to the Court from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where she was the Director General for Human Rights, Judge Fernández de Gurmendi acted as a representative of Argentina in cases before the Inter American Commission of Human Rights and the Inter American Court of Justice. She also represented Argentina before universal and regional human rights bodies and advised on transitional justice issues related to the prevention of genocide and other international crimes. Judge Fernández de Gurmendi contributed to the creation and set up of the Court. She was also instrumental in the negotiations of the complementary instruments of the Rome Statute as chair of the Working Group on Rules of Procedure and Evidence and the Working Group on Aggression. Her academic experience includes professorships of international criminal law at the universities of Buenos Aires and Palermo and as an assistant professor of international law at the University of Buenos Aires. Judge Fernández de Gurmendi has also published a number of national and international publications related to the International Criminal Court including, amongst others, the role of the Prosecutor, criminal procedure, and the definitions of victims.