Supreme Court judge Zhang Lingling elected to UN Appeals Tribunal

Chinese judge Zhang Lingling has been elected to the United Nations Appeals Tribunal, according to a report by China Central Television on Tuesday.

The election for judges of the UNAT and the UN Dispute Tribunal took place on Monday during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. Zhang, 44, was the sole candidate from the Asia-Pacific region and was elected with the highest number of votes, the report said.

Zhang's term will begin on July 1, 2026, and will last for seven years, it added.

With 15 years of experience as a senior judge at China's Supreme People's Court, the country's top court, Zhang has been involved in adjudicating thousands of cases, drafting several judicial interpretations, and publishing over 60 legal papers and monographs.

The UNAT, which was established in 2009, is a key institution within the UN's internal justice system, safeguarding the legal rights of UN staff and promoting the rule of law across UN operations. It is composed of seven judges, all based at the UN headquarters in New York.

In addition, Gao Xiaoli, vice-president of China's top court, currently serves as a judge on the UNAT, having been elected in November 2022 for a term running from Nov 15, 2022 to June 30, 2026.