Security Council Approves Additional Judges
ICTY to receive 27 extra judges in an effort to improve efficiency
Security Council Approves Additional Judges
ICTY to receive 27 extra judges in an effort to improve efficiency
The United Nations Security Council voted last week to increase the number of judges at the war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, in an effort to increase efficiency.
On November 30, the council unanimously adopted a resolution creating a pool of 27 temporary judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and two additional full-time judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, ICTR.
Tribunal President Claude Jorda said the ICTY could complete its work, with the help of the additional judges, by 2007, provided all suspects are arrested and delivered to The Hague in good time.
The temporary judges will be called on by the ICTY when the number of trial-ready cases increases. The new judges will sit with at least one permanent judge for one or more cases and for a cumulative period of up to three years.
The ICTY expects five new court cases to start next year. Sixteen detainees are currently held at The Hague awaiting trial and 26 publicly indicted persons are still at large.
Jorda said in June that several dozen investigations were still underway by the prosecutor's office. When added to those investigations already conducted and completed, the number of defendants would total almost 200, Jorda said.
