Thomas A. Mensah

H.E. Thomas A. Mensah - judge in the International Tribunal for Law of the Sea, was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor Honoris Causa of BFU by the Academic Council of Burgas Free University (29.04.2002), for his outstanding contribution to the development and application of the international law of the sea.

Thomas A. Mensah has been a judge in the International Tribunal for Law of the Sea since 01.10.1996 and the President of the Tribunal since 05.10.1996.

Thomas Mensah was born on 12.05.1932 in Ghana. He is a graduate of the University of Ghana, holds a law degree from the University of London. Following a postgraduate course at the Yale University Law School, he was awarded a Masters in Law in 1962 and a Doctor of Juridical Sciences degree in 1964. He was a Lecturer in Law (1963-1968), Dean of the Faculty (1966-1968), University of Ghana; Associate Legal Officer, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (1965-1966); Assistant Secretary-General and Legal Counsel, International Maritime Organization, London (1968-1990); Special Advisor on Environmental Law and Institutions, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi (1991-1992); Visiting Professor, World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden (1981-1990); Cleveringa Professor of Law, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands (1993-1994); Professor and Director, Law of the Sea Institute, University of Hawaii, USA (1993-1995); High Commissioner of Ghana to the Republic of South Africa (1995-1996).

Elected in August 1996 as a Judge in the newly established United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, Germany, he was subsequently elected by the Judges of the Tribunal as the first President of the Tribunal.

H.E. Thomas A. Mensah is a member of the Institute of International Law (since 1989); American Society of International Law; British Maritime Law Association; Titular Member, Comité Maritime International (CMI); Standing Committee, International Maritime Arbitration Organization, Paris; IUCN Commission on Environmental Law; Chairman Panel F4 (Environmental Claims), United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC).

H.E. Thomas A. Mensah has published various articles, monographs and papers in the field of public international law, law of the sea, maritime law and international environmental law.