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ICC-CPI-20100604-PR539
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From Left to right: Judge Elizabeth Ibanda-Nahamya of
the Special War Crimes Division of the High Court of
Uganda, ICC Registrar, Silvana Arbia and Athaliah L.
Molokomme, Attorney-General of Botswana ©ICC-CPI |
Today, the national campaign for Uganda to increase the number
of African female lawyers authorised to practice before the
International Criminal Court (ICC) was launched in Kampala. The
campaign, which is a part of a broader,
international six-month campaign
jointly-conducted by the ICC and the International Bar
Association (IBA), aims to encourage experienced female lawyers
from Uganda to play a crucial role at the ICC by representing
victims or defendants in proceedings before the Court.
The campaign in Uganda started off with a panel discussion,
chaired by Lorraine Smith, Programme Manager at the IBA, in the
context of the
Review Conference of the Rome Statute.
In her keynote speech, Athaliah L. Molokomme, Attorney-General
of Botswana, encouraged female lawyers to apply to the ICC List
of Counsel, which has been created to ensure that every person
implicated in proceedings before the Court receives effective
legal representation. ICC Registrar, Silvana Arbia, stressed
that applications from qualified African female lawyers would be
given priority throughout the campaign period until the end of
2010. Judge Elizabeth Ibanda-Nahamya of the Special War Crimes
Division of the High Court of Uganda, said: “This campaign could
not have come at a better time. With the advent of women’s
emancipation and affirmative action, many women have made it to
law school and have attained the requisite regal education. What
they need now is motivation.” Bruce Kyerere, President of the
Ugandan Law Society, suggested that law faculties include
international criminal law as a subject in their curricula. The
event concluded with a session of questions and answers, during
which the approximately 70 participants engaged in a lively
discussion.
The “Calling African Female Lawyers” campaign was
internationally launched on 12 May, 2010 at the Court’s
headquarters in The Hague. To date, women counsel are still
under-represented on the ICC List of Counsel. In particular, the
ICC recognises the need to increase the number of female counsel
from African countries, including those with situations under
investigation before the Court. Currently, less than four per
cent of all members of the ICC List of Counsel are African
women.
During an intense information campaign, the ICC and the IBA will
organise special events and will distribute comprehensive
information packages mainly through the national bar
associations in a number of African and European countries,
providing detailed information on how to become a member of the
ICC List of Counsel and the List of Assistants to Counsel.
Electronic copies of the information package can be downloaded
from the campaign website at
http://www.femalecounsel.icc-cpi.info/ |
