Justice Stella Anukam is a Nigerian judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights who was elected to serve in that capacity for a six-year term in July 2018. She obtained her Law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria in 1984, and her B.L from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985 and began her Civil Service career in 1987. Justice Anukam is a Director of Special Programs at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and former Director of the International and Comparative Law department of the Federal Ministry of Justice. She also previously served as Director of the Freedom of Information Unit in the Federal Ministry of Justice. At the time of being appointed to the African Court, Justice Anukam also served as the National Coordinator on Human Rights Issues in Nigeria.

Prior to her election to the African Court, Justice Anukam had vast experience in human rights issues and leading the Nigerian delegation to numerous meetings of the Ordinary Sessions of the African Union Commission on Human and People’s Rights. Justice Anukam’s election to the African Court was historical because her inclusion on the bench, amongst others, brought the gender composition of the Bench up to six women and five men. On top of being an experienced jurist, she is also a Chartered Secretary, a practiced Administrator, and a Chartered Arbitrator.

Anukam is a member of several professional legal bodies, including the International Bar Association (IBA), the African Bar Association, the International Federation of Female Lawyers, and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators (ICSA) London, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in Nigeria. She is a recipient of the Integrity Driven Women in Public Service, the Outstanding Legal Adviser in the Federation, and The Corporate Amazon Women of Excellence Award.