From 8 to 10 November 2017, the Fifth International Meetings of the Defence took place in the historic Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice and brought together various actors involved in international criminal justice. The event was organized by the Defence Office of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, in partnership with the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, and with the support of the Bar of Nuremberg, the Bar Association of Nuremberg and the International Criminal Court Bar Association.
The International Meetings of the Defence pursue the dual purpose of examining the best practices of existing Defence structures within the international criminal courts and proposing practical solutions to improve Defence capabilities before the international criminal courts. The previous International Meetings of the Defence were held respectively at the Paris Bar Association in 2013, at the Peace Palace, seat of the International Court of Justice, in The Hague in 2014, at the University of Geneva in 2015, and at the Middle Temple and the Law Society in London in 2016.
This year, the Fifth Meetings concluded with the presentation of two documents produced by the Working Groups appointed by the Meetings, which have worked during the past two years with many international professional organizations and practitioners of all nationalities and legal cultures, benefiting from a very wide experience: a Practical Guide to Investigations and a Code of Ethics for Defence Counsel and Victims practicing before International Criminal Tribunals, known as the Nuremberg Code 2017, which seeks to harmonize existing codes. A follow-up committee for this Code was be set up during the event in Nuremberg and welcomes all organizations wishing to become involved in its permanent updating, including disciplinary case law and any other relevant amendments. As for the Practical Guide to Investigations, it is a unique compilation of advice for Counsel who conduct investigations on the field, in the context of adversarial proceedings, in which there is no investigative judge.
The program can be downloaded below.
Photos below by Nuremberg Academy
