In response to the article ‘More than forty junior lawyers rail against poor treatment at the ICC’, written on behalf of 46 support staff of victim and defence counsel, the ICCBA refers to its Update on Legal Aid, Taxation and Working Conditions of Legal Team Members, published on the ICCBA website: https://www.iccba-abcpi.org/single-post/2018/12/13/Update-on-Legal-Aid-Taxation-and-Working-Conditions-of-Legal-Team-Members’, which outlines all steps the ICCBA has taken to strengthen the position of counsel support staff.
The ICCBA notes that a number of the 46 signatories are members of the ICCBA Harassment Working Group and the ICCBA Counsel Support Staff Committee, which are actively working together with the Presidency of the ICCBA to address all the issues raised.
The ICCBA welcomes any additional suggestions through this ICCBA Working Group and Committee to advance the position of staff members.
In response to the Registry’s observations on the above article, entitled ‘ICC terms for Junior defence and victims’ lawyers still under discussion’ (https://jfjustice.net/en/asp/icc-terms-for-junior-defence-and-victimsa-lawyers-still-under-discussion), the ICCBA wishes to point out that the contractual relationship the Registry refers to, is between the Court and Counsel Support Staff, and not between the Lead Counsel and their staff. The Court, and not counsel, is paying staff members.
To the extent any national laws are applicable, they would be applicable to the contractual relationship between the Court and staff members, not Lead Counsel and staff members.
Read the article: ‘More than forty junior lawyers rail against poor treatment at the ICC’
Read the ICC registry reaction: Terms for junior defence and victims’ lawyers still under discussion
