Fatou Bensouda is the current Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. Prior to her current role, she worked as Deputy Prosecutor for the Prosecutions Division of the International Criminal Court and as a Legal Adviser and Attorney for International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Prior to her work as an international criminal law prosecutor, she held numerous high level positions in the Office of the President and Cabinet of The Republic of The Gambia. These included Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senior State Counsel and, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.

Ms. Bensouda has received several awards and honors for her extraordinary work, including the International Jurists Award by the International Commission of Jurists and the 2011 World Peace Through Law Award by the Whitney Harris World Law Institute at Washington University.

Ms. Bensouda holds a Master of Laws in International Maritime Law and Law of the Sea from the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of IFE.

In the words of the HLS community member who nominated her, Ms. Bensouda “has reached a position that few ever have and has used her special authority to advocate for those most in need of justice. She is an inspiration not only to Gambian women but to women around the world.”