Helping victims make their voices heard <br> The Office of Public Counsel for Victims launches Manual for victims’ legal representatives
The Office of Public Counsel for Victims of the International Criminal Court has launched a new Manual entitled:Representing victims before the International Criminal Court: A Manual for legal representatives. The Manual, published on the fifth anniversary of the creation of the Office of Public Counsel for Victims, is launched within the framework of the Office’s mandate of providing support and assistance to victims and external legal representatives. The Manual aims at providing a user-friendly guide for legal representatives appearing before the ICC and assists them with the day-to-day challenges and responsibilities involved in representing victims before the Court.
The Manual is structured in three parts: Part One contains a general introduction to the International Criminal Court and to the role of victims in the proceedings before the Court. Part Two analyses the practice before the Court by argument and includes the most important extracts of decisions from 2005 until 16 July, 2010, with regard to victims. This Part will be updated regularly. Part Three contains an explanation of practical issues relevant for the representation of victims in the proceedings before the Court.
The English version of the Manual is accessible here. The French version will be available at the beginning of 2011.
Further information on the role and mandate of the Office of Public Counsel for Victims and its five years of activity can be found here.
For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Associate Legal Outreach Officer, on +31 (0)70 515-9152 or at fadi.el-abdallah@icc-cpi.
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