ICC - Election of the Presidency of the Court
Press Release
Election of the Presidency of the Court
ICC-CPI-20060302-125
In plenary session held on Saturday 11 March, 2006, the judges of the International Criminal Court elected the Presidency of the Court by an absolute majority, in accordance with Article 38 of the Rome Statute. Judges Philippe Kirsch (Canada) and Akua Kuenyehia (Ghana) were re-elected President and First Vice-President of the Court, and Judge René Blattmann (Bolivia) was elected Second Vice-President. They will serve for a term of three years.
As provided in the Statute, the First Vice-President shall act in place of the President in the event that the President is unavailable or disqualified. The Second Vice-President shall act in place of the President in the event that both the President and the First Vice-President are unavailable or disqualified.
The Presidency is responsible for the proper administration of the Court but not for the Office of the Prosecutor. Nonetheless, it coordinates and seeks consensus with the Prosecutor on all matters of mutual concern. Among the Presidency’s administrative functions are managerial oversight of the Registry and ensuring that the Registry delivers effective service to the judiciary. As part of its oversight function, the Presidency provides input into a broad range of administrative policies and issues presidential directives on matters relevant to the Court’s overall functioning, such as staff regulations, information security and the Court’s trust fund.
The Presidency’s responsibilities also include judicial activities and external relations. In the exercise of its judicial functions, the Presidency organises the Chambers’ judicial work and carries out its functions pursuant to the Statute, Rules of Procedure and Evidence, and Regulations of the Court. Among the Presidency’s responsibilities in the area of external relations are negotiation and conclusion of agreements on behalf of the Court and promotion of public awareness and understanding of the institution.
Constitution of Divisions
Immediately after the election of the Presidency, judges organised themselves into the Pre-Trial, Trial and Appeals Divisions.
The seven judges assigned to the Pre-Trial Division are the First Vice-President, Judge Akua Kuenyehia, and Judge Claude Jorda, Judge Hans-Peter Kaul, Judge Mauro Politi, Judge Fatoumata Diarra, Judge Sylvia Steiner and Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova (Bulgaria).
The six judges assigned to the Trial Division are the Second Vice-President, Judge René Blattman and Judge Karl Hudson-Phillips, Judge Elizabeth Odio Benito, Judge Maureen Harding Clark, Judge Anita Ušacka and Judge Sir Adrian Fulford.
The five judges assigned to the Appeals Division are the President of the Court, Judge Philippe Kirsch and Judge Georghios M. Pikis, Judge Navanethem Pillay, Judge Sang-hyun Song and Judge Erkki Kourula.
Assignment of judges to such Divisions is made on the basis of the nature of the functions each one will perform and the qualifications and experience of the judge. This is done in a manner ensuring that each Division benefits from an appropriate combination of expertise in criminal law and procedure and international law. If the Court’s workload so requires and with a view to ensuring efficient management, the Presidency may decide to constitute more than one Pre-Trial or Trial Chamber.
Biographical notes of the Judges
For further information, please contact the ICC Spokesperson Ernest Sagaga on Telephone: +31 (0)70 515 8762 / Mobile: +31 (0)6 4644 8710