General Rules and Principles of International Criminal Procedure Recommendations of the International Expert Framework
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General Rules and Principles of International Criminal Procedure and Recommendations of the International Expert Framework October 2011 Related HiiL Research Theme: Criminal Process and International Crime PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/ee4de3/ The Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law (HiiL) is an international think tank on rule of law in a globalising world. We focus on the interaction between legal systems. We create actionable knowledge through debates, workshops, conferences, knowledge partnerships, action programmes and expert networks. Shaping the Law of the Future HiiL is venturing on a unique and ambitious mission to think ahead of the curve about the changing nature of law in the next 20 years. Visit Law of the Future website [ www.lawofthefuture.org ] Stimulating justice innovations HiiL is one of the founding partners of Innovating Justice, a new platform to improve the rule of law and access to justice. Visit Innovating Justice website [ www.innovatingjustice.com ] Strengthening research HiiL’s research pursues innovation in five themes, which together provide a coherent perspective on the challenges globalisation poses to legal systems. [ www.hiil.org ] 2 PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/ee4de3/ Table of Contents Introduction ...............................................................................................................4 A. Initiation of Investigations and Selection of Cases ........................................................7 Principles................................................................................................................7 Rules .....................................................................................................................8 Recommendations ...................................................................................................8 B. Investigation, Coercive Measures, Arrest and Surrender .............................................. 10 Principles.............................................................................................................. 10 Rules ................................................................................................................... 12 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 15 C. Charges, Confirmation, Res Judicata, Lis Pendens, Iura Novit Curia............................... 20 Principles.............................................................................................................. 20 Rules ................................................................................................................... 22 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 23 D. Trial Process ......................................................................................................... 26 Principles.............................................................................................................. 26 Rules ................................................................................................................... 34 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 44 E. Appeals, Reviews, and Reconsideration ..................................................................... 53 Principles.............................................................................................................. 53 Rules ................................................................................................................... 55 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 56 F. Law of Evidence..................................................................................................... 58 Principles.............................................................................................................. 58 Rules ................................................................................................................... 59 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 63 G. Deliberation, Dissent, Judgment .............................................................................. 65 Principles.............................................................................................................. 65 Rules ................................................................................................................... 66 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 66 H. Defence Issues ..................................................................................................... 68 Principles.............................................................................................................. 68 Rules ................................................................................................................... 71 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 74 I. Victim Issues: Participation, Protection, Reparation, and Assistance............................... 81 Principles.............................................................................................................. 81 Rules ................................................................................................................... 81 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 83 J. Negotiated Justice .................................................................................................. 87 Principles.............................................................................................................. 87 Rules ................................................................................................................... 87 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 88 List of IEF Researchers and Board Members .................................................................. 90 3 PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/ee4de3/ Introduction International criminal procedure is the body of international law that has as an objective the effective and fair enforcement of substantive international criminal law and has been developed for operation in the context of the international legal order. Barely in existence two decades ago, this legal phenomenon has undergone a tremendous growth as result of the rapid proliferation of international and hybrid criminal courts in the post-Cold War era (ICTY, ICTR, Special Court for Sierra Leone, ICC, Special Panels for Serious Crimes in East Timor, ECCC and most recently STL). The frantic institution-building in the realm of core crimes adjudication in the international arena required the development of a sophisticated criminal procedure. This took place in an individualized, ad hoc and uncoordinated way and could not but lead to diversification and fragmentation among various courts. There is truth in the assertion that international tribunals are better enabled to deliver justice in the fairest and most efficient manner possible with tailored institutional frameworks and procedures. On the other hand, the existence in the law of international criminal procedure of multiple legislative solutions that address the same procedural issues somewhat differently might call in question the coherence and authority of that body of law. In particular, in their quest for the highest standards of international procedural justice and the best trial practices in cases of international crimes, national criminal justice systems have increasingly turned, and may be expected to continue doing so in the future, to the seminal experience of international courts. However, for now, it is our view that the guidance they could draw from the latter is on many essential matters too contradictory, unprincipled or inconclusive to be useful. The three-year Research Project of International Expert Framework on International Criminal Procedure (IEF) was launched jointly by the Amsterdam Center for International Law of the University of Amsterdam and the Hague Institute for the Internationalization of Law in 2009. The aim has been to address the perceived problem of the disparate and fragmented nature of procedural law in international crimes adjudication. The hypothesis at the heart of the IEF project is that despite the many differences, a number of fundamental and shared standards, being the ‘principles’ and ‘general rules’, of international criminal procedure can nevertheless be identified. These principles and rules are the normative core of that body of law which cements it together into a unified corpus of norms.1 The starting point is that they can be discerned by systematically and uniformly analyzing and comparing the procedural law and practice of nine major historical and contemporary international or hybrid criminal courts (or courts of internationalized character) that have existed to date: IMT, IMTFE, ICTY, ICTR, SCSL, ICC, SPSC, ECCC and STL. The shared standards could be qualified as general rules or principles of international criminal procedure only if they are of such nature and authority as to withstand the rigorous and multi-layered test under a number of external