Manila, Philippines — In two weeks, the International Criminal Court Trial Chamber III will hold the first status conference in regards to former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.
The first status conference is the procedural hearing held to establish the foundation of the upcoming criminal trial, including the scheduling of the trial date.
And in the upcoming status conference, a new lead counsel will represent Duterte’s defense.
This follows the Trial Chamber III’s approval of Atty. Nicholas Kaufman’s withdrawal request as Duterte’s counsel, citing the client’s desire to reorganize his defense team ahead of the trial.
In the unredacted version of the May 8 withdrawal request of Kaufman, he named British barrister Peter Haynes as Duterte’s new lead counsel.
Kaufman acknowledged the wide experience of Haynes as an ICC lawyer, expressing confidence that he will ensure continuity of Duterte’s representation.
Haynes is considered as one of the leading legal practitioners specializing in international criminal and humanitarian law, with over 25 years of vast experience in criminal tribunals.
Haynes served as the president of ICC Bar Association from 2019 to 2021.
In ICC, he represented Congolese politician Jean-Pierre Bemba’ war crimes and crimes against humanity case, resulting in his acquittal in 2018.
In 2024, Haynes was appointed to represent Ugandan militant and warlord, Joseph Kony in ICC’s first-ever in absentia confirmation hearings.
Outside ICC, Haynes also has experiences in British courts, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Following the withdrawal request, Kaufman confirmed that Haynes is willing and ready to succeed him from the post.—Mia Layaguin, Eurotv News