In a surprising moment at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), British lawyer Professor Malcolm Shaw, defending Israel, inadvertently became a source of amusement on social media. On Friday, January 12, Shaw experienced several moments of confusion in his defense argument when he seemingly lost his place after someone shuffled his papers.
“Excuse me. I’ve lost a page,” he remarked when flipping through his documents. As the same mishap occurred again, Shaw humorously stated, “Well, someone has shuffled my papers,” while scrambling to reconstruct his statement.
Shaw, who rejected claims of genocide by Israeli forces, argued that South Africa failed to present all the facts, asserting, “There is no genocidal intent here. This is no genocide.”
Social media users responded with a mix of humor and commentary. Some quipped about the potential blame on “Khamas” (likely referring to Hamas) in a press conference, while others highlighted Shaw’s expertise in international law. Despite the lighthearted reactions, the lawyer’s momentary confusion added an unexpected touch of humor to the serious proceedings at the ICJ.
As online users shared their amusement, it became evident that the legal proceedings involving Shaw had inadvertently taken a lighter turn, sparking conversations about his unexpected “performance” at the ICJ.