15/11/2008
NEWS STORY
Guido de Marco, the former President of Malta, is one of four new judges to be elected to the International Court of Appeal (ICA) by the FIA General Assembly.
De Marco, who has a doctorate in law, has been a central figure in Maltese politics for most of his career. He was first elected to the House of Representatives of Malta in April 1966 and went on to serve as the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and Justice before he was appointed President in 1999.
During this time he was responsible for introducing several bills in the House of Representatives that integrated important conventions, such as the European Convention on Human Rights, into domestic law. As Interior Minister he led the reform and modernization of the Police Force and founded the Malta Police Academy.
He was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Justice in 1990 and Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1992 and 1996. He was also elected President of the United Nations General Assembly (45th Session).
He was re-appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Malta and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1998, a capacity which he held until his nomination to the Presidency of Malta from 1999 to 2004.
He is joined on the ICA by Jean Luisi (France - Titular Member), Michael Grech (Malta - Deputy Member), and Jay Alexander (US - Deputy Member). The full list of members is below.
The ICA is the final appeal tribunal for international motor sport established under the FIA Statutes and the FIA’s International Sporting Code (ISC) to resolve disputes in the sport brought before it by any of motor sport’s National Sporting Authorities worldwide, or by the President of the FIA. It can also settle non-sporting disputes brought by national motoring organizations affiliated to the FIA.
The judges that make up the ICA come from 18 different countries. Each year one third of the Judges and their Deputies are elected by the FIA General Assembly. The Judges must have both legal and sporting experience and cannot also serve as a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council or any of its Sporting Commissions.