Responding to a request by the Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Security Council extended the terms of four judges who were not re-elected for a second term of office at elections on 31 January 2003, and whose terms were to expire on 24 May 2003. They had begun cases before their terms were due to expire. The decision was taken in order to avoid starting the trials again with new judges, rehearing of witnesses and the representation of arguments.[1] The four judges were: