Fijian international lawyer Ana Tuiketei has been appointed President of the Defence Committee of the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA) — a historic achievement that marks another first for the Pacific region.
The Defence Committee is responsible for safeguarding the interests of suspects and accused persons before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
It provides expert advice to the ICCBA’s Legal Advisory Committee, Executive Council, and General Assembly on matters affecting defence representation and fair trial rights.
Tuiketei, who previously served on the ICCBA’s Defence, Victims, and Membership Committees, is the first Pacific Counsel to be listed with both the International Criminal Court and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
She is also the only female Pacific Islander accredited as an arbitrator with several global institutions, including the Court of Arbitration for Sport, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in New York.
In addition to her international roles, Tuiketei serves as a South Pacific Task Force Member for the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) and is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Small and Microstates (UK).
She also sits on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Ethics Committee and volunteers on the Save the Children Boards in Fiji and Australia.
In 2017, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Fiji by the President in recognition of her contributions to the nation.
Tuiketei holds degrees and professional qualifications from institutions in Fiji, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland, and is currently pursuing her PhD.
