On 17 May 2018, Chief Charles Taku, Vice-President for Defence, was a member of the panel on Defence Issues at the ICC-NGO Roundtable conference which was held at the ICC. Chief Taku spoke about legal aid issues for counsel at the ICC and urged the NGO community to engage on the topic with the Court. Chief Taku next addressed the issue of gender balance and diversity in the List of Counsel and explained that the ICCBA Constitution requires gender and geographic representation to be taken into account. Another issue which Chief Taku mentioned was the family visits for the accused and how these visits are crucial for the well-being of the accused who often serve an extended period of time on remand while the proceedings are taking place. Chief Taku concluded by stating the importance of outreach for the ICC, especially in situation countries.
The full speaking notes of Chief Taku are available here.
