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Defence Committee

The Defence Committee is mandated to take into consideration the interests of suspects and accused and, through a commentary, provide proposals to the Legal Advisory Committee and advise the Executive Council and the General Assembly on all matters affecting the Defence.

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Training videos by the Defence Committee are available here

Current members
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IAIN EDWARDS
Chair

Iain Edwards is a barrister of the Bar of England and Wales (practising since 2001). Since 2009, the focus of his practice has been defending in international criminal cases. He has represented, or assisted in the representation of, clients in a total of ten cases before the ICC, ICTR (Rwanda), STL (Lebanon), IRMCT (Rwanda, and former Yugoslavia) and KSC (Kosovo). He is currently associate Counsel for Mr Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (Darfur) before the ICC, lead Counsel for Mr Isni Kilaj before the KSC, and Counsel for Mr Alphonse Nteziryayo before the IRMCT. He was also ad hoc associate Counsel for Mr Al-Hassan (Mali) towards the end of the Prosecution case, and during the victims’ case, before the ICC. Iain is the current secretary on the Executive Council, and was formerly the Vice-President for Defence of the ICCBA. He has been a member of the Defence Committee for the last two years. In 2016-2017, he was chair of the inaugural Training Committee and Professional Standards Advisory Committee. He is also the alternate member of the ICC Disciplinary Board. Iain works just as comfortably in French as he does in English, an important advantage given the often multilingual nature of the work of the Court.

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HASSAN M.S ALHATTAB

Criminal attorney, defense attorney, criminal justice attorney

Occupation: Lawyer (international human rights activist)

Summary: Highly accomplished (human rights lawyer) with extensive legal knowledge and history of advising governmental and private organizations across (20) years of work. Comprehensive analysis of laws, decrees, and statements for use in legal proceedings, pleadings, and memoranda.

A committed and creative attorney specializing in [public] law.Highly skilled in oral advocacy and legal research, which leads to successful litigation of many cases.Experience in mediation, arbitration and settlement negotiations

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ELISABETTA GALEAZZI

Elisabetta is an Italian Criminal Lawyer with almost thirty years of experience as Defence Counsel and Counsel for Victims before National Tribunals and Higher Courts. She was admitted to the List of Counsel of the International Criminal Court in 2012. For decades she has been practicing as Lead Counsel in serious crime cases (Criminal Law and Procedure, Civil Law and Procedure, Italian Juvenile System of Courts, Immigration Law, Domestic and International Law, UE Criminal Law, Computer and Cyber Crimes, Sexual Crimes). She is also HR defender. Elisabetta has been involved in national and international associations of Counsel, and actively has promoted the establishing of the ICCBA. In 2016 She was appointed as member of EU and International Criminal Law drafting Commission at the Italian Ministry of Justice. Currently, she is member of the International Committee of the Bar of Bologna with task for liaising with the ICC. As an expert in International Criminal Law and Justice, she is trainer in many compulsory training programs for Lawyers and her articles are published on these topics. Past chair of the ICCBA Membership Committee, Elisabetta has also served as member of the Executive Council and elected member of the ICCBA Victims Committee.

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DR. JUSTRY P. LUMUMBA NYABERI

Dr Justry Patrick Lumumba Nyaberi is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya for now well over 34 years having been admitted to the Rolls of Advocates in 1990.He holds various degrees namely a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Laws, a Master of International Studies, a Master of Business administration and Doctor of Philosophy all from the University of Nairobi. Dr Nyaberi has authored more than 11 books, 5 on Criminal law, 1 on the law of Evidence, 2 on Environmental law and 3 on Religion. He has published more than 22 articles in peer review journals on law and management issues. Dr Nyaberi was a Defence Counsel in the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda representing Jean Bosco Barayagwiza at the tribunal and its appeals chamber at the Hague. He there after became a consultant and acted as an Amicus Curie in several cases in the tribunal. He was also a defence counsel in the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Dr Nyaberi is the Chairman of the Strategic Management Institute, Director of International Centre for Environmental, Social and Policy Studies and Lecturer at the Catholic University of East Africa since 2006. Dr Nyaberi has been the Chairman of the National Environment Complaints Committee, an environmental ombudsman in Kenya and a member of Trustee of the Adventist University of Africa. Dr Nyaberi was recognized by the Kenyan Government in 2023 of his diligence in working for the people of Kenya in resolving environmental challenges by being awarded the honour of the Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS). Dr Nyaberi is a member of various law organisations namely the International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property, the European Criminal Bar Association, International Bar Association, LawAsia, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the International Law Association (Canada), Pan African Lawyers Union, the East African Law Society, the Law Society of Kenya. Dr Nyaberi is also a member of other organisations namely the Institute of Public Secretaries and the Royal Commonwealth Society. As a member of the Defence committee of the International Criminal Court Bar Association, Dr Nyaberi hopes in an amicable working relationship with other committee members to make the committee vibrant and affective

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NKOMU MABASO

Nkomu Mabaso worked as a Prosecutor in the districts of Lulekani, Giyani and Hlanganani in South Africa from 1998. He was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa in 2002. He then joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for the Transkei Division as a State Advocate. In 2004, he joined the Directorate of Special Operations in the Eastern Cape as a Senior State Advocate. The Directorate investigates and prosecutes serious and complicated matters in the country. He then joined the Office of the Head and the National Director of Prosecuting Authority of South Africa in Pretoria. He worked in this office until he resigned and started his own private practice as an Advocate. He is practising from Oxford chambers in Sandton, South Africa. He specialises in Civil Law, Criminal Law and Labour Law. He appears in High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, Constitutional Court of South Africa and the International Criminal Court, The Netherlands. He has 26 years of experience in the court room as Prosecutor and Counsel. In 2021 he was appointed as an examiner of the Criminal Procedure for Advocates Admission Examinations by the Legal Practice Council, the body that regulates Legal Practitioners in South Africa. He is a member of the Legal Practice Council, South African Bar Association, African Bar Association, Commonwealth Lawyers Association and International Criminal Court Bar Association. All as a full member.

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IDENYEMIH STELLA OMIYI

Idenyemih Stella Omiyi is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria being called to the Nigerian Bar in 1971 after obtaining LLB and Masters Degrees University of London 1965-1970. Between 1971 and 2005 she worked at the Federal Ministry of Justice of Nigeria being appointed inter alia as Director of International and Comparative Law Department and Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation She participated in the discussions and negotiation process which led up to the Rome Statue. In 2003 she was a Nigerian delegation at the UN meeting on the election of ICC judges. A member of the Nigerian Legal team appointed: by the Government to prosecute the case concerning THE LAND AND `MARITIME BOUNDARY DISPUTE: NIGERIA VS CAMEROON before the International Court of JUSTICE at The Hague She is now an expert in international boundary disputes. She also runs an NGO focusing on women and children issues. She was elected Vice President of the International Criminal Bar in 2015. She is admitted to the International Criminal Court List of Counsel in 2011 and a founding member of the ICCBA and has been elected member of the Membership Committee in 2016 to 2017. Defence & Victims Committee 2021.  She got a letter of Commendation from the President and his Executive Council Members for a job well done. She was also elected a member of the Professional Standards Advisory Committee in 2022.

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ANA TUIKETEI

Ana Tuiketei is a listed Counsel for the ICC and is a member of the Defense and Membership Committee- a first for the Oceania.   She is also the only female Pacific Islander listed as an Arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She is admitted to the Tongan and Fijian Bar. She is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Small and Micro States based in the UK. She is a fellow with the Forum for International Conciliation & Arbitration.  She is the only Fijian female accredited World Rugby Judicial Officer and is one of only two pacific women that are Oceania Judicial Officer. She is the only Oceania International Rugby League Independent Judicial Chair. She is also listed as an Arbitrator with International Mixed Martial Arts Federation. She is also an Arbitrator in the Fiji Employment Arbitration Court (High Court).   In 2017 she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Fiji by the   President of Fiji  for her national contribution. She is a Heart Ambassador for the internationally recognized Sai Prema Foundation Fiji that is creating a world-class facility with the aim of providing the best possible surgery and free treatment to the children of the Pacific.

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