RESOLUTION
Approved by

THE INTER-AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
AT ITS CONFERENCE XXXIX

June 17-21, 2003 – New Orleans, Louisiana, USA


RESOLUTION 1

WHEREAS: [1] The Statute of Rome of the International Criminal Court requires the participation of attorneys who meet the necessary qualifications to present an effective defense;

WHEREAS: National Bar Associations should establish attorney qualifications for the
representation of defendants before the International Criminal Court;

WHEREAS: The attorney-client confidential relationship must be respected; and,

WHEREAS: It is indispensable that there be a logistical support office, headquartered in the same location as the International Criminal Court, which provides assistance to lawyers appearing before the Court, who appears before such Court,


NOW, THEREFORE, THE INTER-AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION RESOLVES:

1.  That it should be the national bar associations that qualify their respective members to appear before the International Criminal Court.

2.  That each defendant before the International Criminal Court should have the right to appoint his or her own attorney.

3.  That in order to present an adequate defense, the defendant’s attorney should have available the use of sufficient human and material resources provided by the Court.


[1] Proposed by Committee VI, Criminal Law, in joint session with the Institutional Forum on The Legal Profession.