Judge Joyce Aluoch opens the « ICC-Trial Competition »
Judge Joyce Aluoch opened the third edition of the ICC-Trial Competition on Sunday, 14 February, 2010. Speaking to the participants of the competition, Judge Aluoch said of the role of magistrates in judicial proceedings that “…Judges, like those of the ICC and other important institutions, safeguard trial fairness and respect for the different parties and participants’ rights in the proceedings.”
The ICC-Trial Competition, organised by the International Criminal Law Network (ICLN) and the University of Amsterdam in cooperation with the International Criminal Court, Pace University, and the American Society of International Law, is taking place in The Hague from 14 to 19 February. This year, 88 students from 19 universities representing 12 countries are participating in the simulation exercise. They will take on the roles of Prosecution, Defence, and legal representatives of victims. The final round of the competition will be assessed by a jury composed of three ICC Judges: Judge Joyce Aluoch (Kenya), Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng (Botswana) and Judge Daniel David Ntanda Nsereko (Uganda).
In her opening speech, Judge Aluoch reminded those present that the ICC was established to replace a culture of impunity with one of accountability. She stated that “for too long, the most heinous and serious of crimes have been committed on a large scale, trapping humanity in cycles of violence and revenge. The ICC’s main mission is to help break these cycles. It is to give a legal, and thus a human, answer to blind violence. Your presence here is a sign that we can achieve this mission. For such a noble goal, continuous efforts are needed at all levels. Justice must be done, seen to be done, and understood whilst being done.”
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