The International Criminal Court (ICC) trial chamber has called on detained former President Rodrigo Duterte to personally attend the status conference scheduled on September 7 for his crimes against humanity case.
During the second status conference on June 23, ICC Trial Chamber III Presiding Judge Joanna Korner said Duterte was excused from the latest hearing only because it was “relatively short,” noting that his presence will be required in the upcoming session.
Duterte did not attend Tuesday’s proceedings and was represented by his legal counsel, Peter Haynes.
“I’d rather feel the one on the 7th of September—because by then we’ll have had the reports—is likely to be an important one. And for that, certainly, Mr. Haynes, we would expect Mr. Duterte to be here, unless there’s some medical issue,” Korner said.
The chamber said a panel of experts tasked to review the case is expected to submit its reports by August 18, with parties and participants given until August 31 to file their observations.
The June 23 conference also tackled procedures on handling confidential information linked to the case as the court moves closer to trial.
Judge Korner reminded all counsels to observe proper conduct and avoid public commentary on ongoing proceedings, citing previous remarks made outside the courtroom.
She referred to earlier comments made by former defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman, saying such statements were “wholly inappropriate” and not consistent with courtroom protocol.
“The appropriate forum for counsel to raise matters is in the courtroom. Trials are not conducted by the court of public opinion, but by this court during the course of the proceedings,” she said.
Korner also warned that the case has drawn significant public attention and has been affected by what she described as “fake news” circulating online.
The next status conference is set for July 14, followed by additional sessions on September 7, October 13, and November 2 ahead of the trial scheduled for November 30.
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