Arusha, August 10th , 2004(FH) – A Sri Lankan Judge, Joseph Asoka Nihal de Silva, has been appointed as a permanent judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Judge de Silva was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, on 3rd August according to the tribunal’s External Relations and Strategic Planning Section.

He replaces his compatriot Judge Asoka de Zoysa Gunawardana who resigned from the tribunal on health grounds May this year. His appointment has effect for the remainder of Judge Gunawardana’s term which expires in 2007. Prior to his appointment to ICTR, Judge de Silva, 58, was a senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka since 2001. From 1995 to 2001, he was a judge in the Court of Appeals and also became a president of that court. He undertook his legal studies at the University of Ceylon and the University of Colombo. The tribunal currently has tree trial chambers, nine permanent judges and five ad litem (not permanent) judges. PJ/PB/GF/FH (ICTR’’0810e)