Through the most recent proceedings initiated by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Walter Barasa, the issue of proceedings for alleged offences against the administration of justice pursuant to Article 70 of the Rome Statute has gained relevance for both legal practice and in the academic field. The regime estab lished by the article differs significantly from the one applicable to the ad-hoc tribunals as it shifts power from the Chamber to the Prosecution. This article aims at exploring the implications this changed legal framework has for the upcoming legal proceedings, taking into account in particular the rights of the accused and the risks of the OTP's investigatory and prosecutorial monopoly. It will further explore the legal tools avail able to ICC judges in order to remedy these implications and discuss the possibilities for applying lessons learned.
The defendant in international trials is presumed innocent until proven guilty but is often judged by the ‘court of popular opinion’ even before the trial begins. This article provides reflections on how the image of a malevolent individual emerges with regard to those brought/to be brought before international courts. In such a situation, coming before the Court and subsequently being convicted or acquitted can mean little. It is coming before the Court that is, in itself, the end of the line. The manner in which the International Criminal Court has functioned has contributed, both advertently and inadvertently, to the maintenance of the image of the defendant as a malevolent being. Specifically, the purposes of historiography and the ever present discourse of deterrence, breed the suspicion that this ‘demonizing the defendant’ effect might be endorsed by the manner in which the Prosecutor has popularized the Court and it's functions and aims. This is a conflict that gets to the heart of international criminal law. It is the dilemma of how one must simultaneously fulfil two of the law's essential aims: to presume innocence (and thus abide by a fundamental tenet of international criminal law) and to deter, educate and pacify (and thus for the law to have a reason to exist).
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