In November 2014, the ICTR commemorated the 20th Anniversary of its creation by the United Nations Security Council at a ceremony held in Arusha, Tanzania, which was attended by prominent international guests, including representatives of domestic and international courts from around the world. A year later in December 2015, the international community returned to Arusha, this time to celebrate the completion of the ICTR mandate and the closure of the court. On both occasions, a selection of leading practitioners and experts presented speeches on a variety of topics relating to the ICTR and international criminal law and further reflected on the ICTR's contributions to the development of international law.
A compendium of papers arose out of the speeches, covering a range of topics including case management, disclosure and evidence, the rights of the accused, the defense systems in international tribunals, the prosecution of sexual violence, capacity building and outreach programmes, and state and international cooperation. These papers illustrate certain aspects of the legacy of the ICTR and its numerous contributions to international justice. They highlight the role of the ICTR as a foundational institution for the revival of international criminal law at the end of the 20th Century, and envision how it will continue to evolve in the future.
Introduction
Case Management
- Managing Trials, Erik Mose, Former ICTR President (2003-2007) and Vice-President (1999-2003); ICTR judge (1999-2010)
- Streamlining Judgement Drafting: Lessons Learned from Karemera et al. Andrés Pérez, ICTR Judgement Coordinator
- Streamlining Case Management at the Appeals Chamber, Roman Boed, Senior Legal Officer and Chief of the Appeals Chamber Support Section at the ICTR
Disclosure
- Streamlining Cases through Evidence and Case Management: An OTP – ICTR Perspective, Upendra Baghel, Investigator at the ICTR
- The ICTR’s Significant Contribution to the Law of Disclosure, Peter Robinson, Defense Lawyer, ICTR, ICTY, MICT
- Domestic Court Records before the ICTR, Gregory Townsend, Chief, Court Support Services Secion, ICTY Registry
Trials
- Rights of the Accused
- Fair Trial Rights under the Rome Statute from a Prosecution Perspective, James K. Stewart, Deputy Prosecutor, ICC
- Specificity of Notice of Charges, Nina Tavakoli, Red Lion Chambers, London
- Fairness of Proceedings: A Recurring Issue before the ICTR, Pascal Besnier, Chief of the Judicial and Legal Affairs Section and Senior Legal Officer in the Registry of the ICTR
- Evidence
- Evidential Collusion, Caroline Buisman, Defense Lawyer at the ICTY, ICTR and SCSL (2002-2008), and International Criminal Court (2007-present)
- Symposium on The Legacy of The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) Gabrielle McIntyre, Chef de Cabinet to the President of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals
- The Prosecution of Sexual Violence
- Prosecution of Sexual Violence: Reducing the Risk of Re-Traumatization of Survivor Witnesses, James J. Arguin, Chief of the Appeals and Legal Advisory Division of the ICTR Office of the Prosecutor
- Procedural Steps Addressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence: the Legacy of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and its Application in the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Valerie Oosterveld, Associate Dean (Research and Administration) and Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law
Defense Systems
- Evolution of the Defence Systems in International Tribunals: The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), Isaac N. Endeley, Chief of Defense Support Section ECCC
- Assistance and Oversight Without Interference: An Analysis and Critique of Defence Systems before the International and Hybrid Criminal Courts and Tribunals, Karim A. A. Khan QC, Temple Garden Chambers, London
- Evolution or Revolution: The Defence Offices in International Criminal Law, Xavier-Jean Keita, Principle Counsel of the Office of Public Counsel for the Defense (OPCD), International Criminal Court
- Speech by François Roux, Head of Defense Office at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Cooperation
- Speech by ICTR Registrar Bongani Majola
- Reliance Upon and Complications with State Cooperation, Kate Gibson, Defense Counsel before the ICTR, ICC and SCSL
- Impact of the ICTR 11bis Case Referrals on Rwanda’s Legal Reforms, Extraditions, and Transfer Case Procedure, Yasmine Chubin, Ex-Senior Legal Advisor to the Prosecutor-General of Rwanda and current Trial Lawyer in the Prosecution Division of the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court
- The Cooperation Regime of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daryl A. Mundis, Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
- Domestic Justice Mechanisms: Perspective on Referred Cases, Jean Bosco Mutangana, National Prosecutor in Rwanda and the Head of the International Crimes Unit in the Office of the Prosecutor General
- The Evolution of the Mandates of the International Tribunals, Including a Move Towards Complementarity, Philomena Cleobury, Legal Officer in the United Nations, Office of Legal Affairs, Office of the Legal Counsel
Legacy
- ICTR Legacy: Administrative Achievements and Challenges , Dr. Sarah Kilemi, Chief, Division of Administrative Services ICTR
- The Legacy of the ICTR Arusha Spouse Association, Abubacarr Tambadou, Appeals Counsel and Special Assistant to the Prosecutor at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals