Defence Committee 2017-2018
Caroline Buteau
Chair
Caroline Buteau, a Canadian lawyer specialized in international criminal law, has been working for more than 14 years for the defence of suspects and accused persons before International Criminal Tribunals (ICTR, ICC, STL). From 2007 to 2016, she worked for the Defence of the first Accused person before the ICC. Since 2016, she is a Legal Officer at the Defence Office of the STL. Ms. Buteau acted at several occasions as a trainer for the lawyers registered on the ICC List of Counsel. She is the co-editor of the Practitioner’s Handbook on Defence Investigations in International Criminal Trials. She is currently the Chair of the Defence Committee of the ICCBA.
Dr. Antonios Abou Kasm
Attorney at Law (Beirut Bar) and Professor of International law (Lebanese University and the Lebanese Army Forces’ Colleges). Admitted to practice before international criminal jurisdictions since 2011, and assigned as Lead Defense Counsel at the STL. He is one of the authors of the Joint Code of Ethics for Counsel pleading before international criminal courts (Nuremberg Code) and of legal books and articles. He holds an LL.D (Grenoble University) in addition to academic diplomas and professional certificates (United Nations/UN Fellow, ICRC, The Hague Academy of International Law, Leiden University, Penn State Dickinson Law, ICC, STL).
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Emmanuel Altit
I am a member of the Paris Bar. Before the ICC, I am Lead Counsel for President Gbagbo and Counsel for the gabonese opposition. I have 20 years of experience in international criminal law. For example, I appeared as Lead Counsel before the ICTR; in Cambodia for victims of the Khmer Rouge regime, etc. I represent victims of terrorism and political opponents in the Middle East. I represented a Guantanamo detainee. I was the lawyer of the Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya, etc.
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Emile Aoun
Mr. Emile Aoun is a Lebanese lawyer and professor of law. He is currently preparing his PhD at the Université de Paris II on the perspective of the principle of equality of arms in international criminal tribunals. Mr. Aoun is the author of several published legal studies. He has a Bachelor's degree in Law, a Bachelor's degree in Administrative and Political Sciences and in History. He holds two Masters in Public Law and in Private Law. He is Lead Counsel for the Ayyash defence team at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Michel Bourgeois
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Xavier-Jean Keita
Mr. Keïta joined the ICC in 2007 as Principal Counsel for the Defence Office and was involved in all cases. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Wolof, Bambara and Malinké, practised law for over 33 years (Senegal and Paris Bar) and is specialised in Human Rights, International Relations and (International) Criminal Law. He is a founding member of the International Training Centre for Lawyers in Africa, ICB and the ICCBA. He is a qualified Mediator and acted as a Judge for five years at the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
Chief Charles Taku
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