Courting History RIGHTS the Landmark International Criminal Court’S First Years WATCH
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HUMAN Courting History RIGHTS The Landmark International Criminal Court’s First Years WATCH Courting History The Landmark International Criminal Court’s First Years Copyright © 2008 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-358-7 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org July 2008 1-56432-358-7 Courting History The Landmark International Criminal Court’s First Years Glossary............................................................................................................................. 1 ICC Organizational Chart .................................................................................................... 3 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 4 A. Introduction................................................................................................................ 4 B. Methodology ...............................................................................................................7 I. Chambers........................................................................................................................9 A. Overview .................................................................................................................... 9 B. The Presidency: Coordination key to court’s success ................................................. 11 C. Pre-trial division: Uncharted waters ...........................................................................14 1. First decisions steer ICC’s course .........................................................................17 2. Navigating intersecting roles ...............................................................................21 D. Maintaining judicial dialogue key to meeting challenges ahead ................................27 II. Office of the Prosecutor................................................................................................ 30 A. Overview .................................................................................................................. 30 1. The structure of the Office of the Prosecutor........................................................ 30 2. Significant progress in the face of enormous challenges..................................... 32 3. Advancing key policies: The interplay of peace and justice and state cooperation ................................................................................................................................34 4. The importance of outreach and communications: An overview.......................... 36 B. The Office of the Prosecutor’s selection of situations.................................................37 1. Situation selection: Legal requirements ...............................................................37 2. Managing perceptions in the selection process .................................................. 39 C. OTP investigations and the selection of cases for trial ...............................................45 1. Investigations ......................................................................................................45 2. Selection of cases .............................................................................................. 58 D. The ICC’s impact in the country situations under investigation ................................. 66 III. Defense....................................................................................................................... 73 A. Overview ...................................................................................................................73 B. Institutional support for the defense ........................................................................ 76 1. Office of Public Counsel for the Defence.............................................................. 78 2. Defence Support Section .................................................................................... 85 C. Ensuring quality representation for indigent defendants: The ICC’s legal aid system 88 1. Determining eligibility for legal aid: Calculating indigence .................................. 90 2. Financial assistance for eligible defendants ....................................................... 92 3. Guarding against abuse: Checks and balances in the legal aid system ............... 96 D. Monitoring the challenges ahead ............................................................................. 97 IV. Field Engagement........................................................................................................99 A. Overview .................................................................................................................. 99 B. Field offices: Key to ICC contact with affected communities .....................................100 1. Establishment and functioning of field offices: A slow beginning ....................... 101 2. Enhancing the contribution and effectiveness of field offices ............................105 C. In situ proceedings.................................................................................................. 112 D. High-level visits by ICC officials to the field.............................................................. 114 V. Outreach and Communications....................................................................................116 A. Overview ................................................................................................................. 116 B. Evolution of the ICC’s approach to outreach and communications........................... 118 1. An unduly slow start........................................................................................... 118 2. Improvements in institutional support............................................................... 121 3. The ICC’s outreach program: Gaining momentum in 2007..................................124 C. Implementing outreach in communities most affected: Lessons learned .................126 1. Starting early and managing expectations..........................................................126 2. Tailoring outreach: Establishing a dialogue .......................................................130 3. Disseminating information effectively................................................................ 137 4. Additional resources needed to intensify efforts ................................................ 147 VI. Victim and Witness Protection and Support ............................................................... 149 A. Overview .................................................................................................................149 B. Responsibility for protection and support shared across court ................................ 151 1. Victims and Witnesses Unit................................................................................ 151 2. Office of the Prosecutor .....................................................................................158 3. Chambers ..........................................................................................................162 C. Steps required to strengthen protection and support programs ...............................166 1. Increasing protection and support for victims and intermediaries ......................166 2. Maintaining an independent and neutral protection program ............................168 3. Flexibility in protective measures needed to address scope of protection mandate .............................................................................................................................. 172 4. Enhancing psychological support to victims and witnesses ............................... 174 5. Ensuring adequate resources for protection and support programs ................... 175 VII. The Role of Victims in ICC Proceedings ......................................................................177 A. Overview ................................................................................................................. 177 B. The legal regime of victims’ participation................................................................. 181 1. Situation phase..................................................................................................182 2. Participation in a case .......................................................................................186 C. Rights of victims in proceedings outside of the participation regime........................192 D. Implementing the victims’ participation regime in practice......................................193 1. Application procedure for victims’ participation .................................................194