More than ten years after the establishment of the International Criminal Court, Africa continues to dominate the work of and debates on this court. We cannot deny that the relationship between Africa and the Court has been troublesome. The recent decisions of Burundi, South Africa, and Gambia to deposit instruments of withdrawal to the UN…

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Allow me at the outset to express my sincere thanks to Africa Legal Aid and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for hosting this important seminar, and for giving me the opportunity to talk to you today about such a crucial topic: the relationship of the International Criminal Court…

Your Excellencies, colleagues and friends, I thank Africa Legal Aid for asking me to be here and to be part of this afternoon’s discourse. The issue of human rights is a discussion that needs to be held continuously.  For me personally, it is exciting to discuss more than a decade of the life of the…

Introduction Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. It is a privilege to be a part of the birthing process of what can only be described as one of Evelyn’s babies. It was a long process with intense labour pains, but the finished product is a testimony that hard work pays off. My contribution to…

The International Criminal Court (ICC) continues to battle with allegations that it is targeting Africa. This unfortunate perception needs to be dealt with in a direct fashion by continuously delivering the message of complementarity. The principle of complementarity is one of the founding tenents of the Rome Statute and the vision of the drafters at…

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests and Colleagues, I join previous speakers in acknowledging and commending Africa Legal Aid for its important contribution to advancing the course of international criminal justice. My thanks go to you Evelyn and your co-hosts for your unyielding commitment to this cause, for the organisation of this conference and affording…

Cooperation – Provisional Release This year has seen some welcome developments in cooperation in the first Memorandum of Understanding signed agreement concerning the interim release of detainees, made between the ICC and the Belgian government (10 April 2014). Belgian became the first country to indicate a willingness to accept suspects and accused on provisional release.…

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, At the outset, I wanted to thank the students in the room for being here. I’m told that you have been patiently waiting for this evening’s session since early this afternoon. This demonstrates your commitment and interest in international criminal justice and our work at the ICC. I am…

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, It is my great honour and pleasure to address you at this timely event that brought us all together in Johannesburg. I am deeply grateful to the organizers of this seminar, Africa Legal Aid in cooperation with International Commission of Jurists-Kenya (ICJ-Kenya) and the Center for Internationalisation…

I) Introduction The protection and support of witnesses and victims before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the Special Court of Sierra Leone have  been in Africa excellent tools for ensuring fair, transparent and equitable justice to both the victims and the accused persons. Witnesses are a key component of the judicial process…

  Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to start by thanking Her Excellency, Ms Intellman, President of the Assembly of States Party of the International Criminal Court, as well as the Africa Legal Aid, and in particular Ms Evelyn Ankumah, for organising this meeting and for inviting me. I would also like to address…