Australian lawyer Kate Gibson appointed as Rodrigo Duterte's new associate counsel in ICC case
Australian lawyer Kate Gibson has now been appointed as former president Rodrigo Duterte's new associate counsel in his case before the International Criminal Court.
In a recent filing, Duterte’s lead defense counsel Peter Haynes had requested Gibson to assist the defense team as in the proceedings tackling the former leader's three counts of crimes against humanity in the form of murder in relation to his "war on drugs."
Her appointment was confirmed on May 18 following her acceptance of the position.
Previously, the position was held by French lawyer Dov Jacobs. However, the ICC Trial Chamber III granted his request to withdraw as Duterte’s associate counsel on May 8. He reasoned that his decision was made because Duterte plans to restructure his legal team before the ICC trial begins.
According to her profile on the website of the International Bar Association, Gibson serves as the President of the Association of Defence Counsel practicing before the International Courts and Tribunals.
She has been appearing before international criminal courts and tribunals since 2005, representing accused in cases involving conflicts in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, and the former Yugoslavia.
Her cases include representing Jean-Pierre Bemba, former Vice-President of the DRC, who was acquitted by the ICC Appeals Chamber in 2018.
Gibson was also the co-counsel of former Liberian president Charles Taylor before the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the co-counsel of former president of the Republika Srpška Radovan Karadžić before the UN Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
When she's not on a case, Gibson teaches international criminal law and procedure and holds a Master of Laws in International Law from Cambridge University, per her profile on Doughty Street Chambers.
On April 23, an ICC pre-trial chamber unanimously confirmed all three counts of murder lodged against Duterte as crimes against humanity, saying they constitute “serious violations committed as part of a large-scale attack against any civilian population.”
A Trial Chamber has now been formed to oversee his case.
Among the details to be ironed out with the case participants is the date for the commencement of the trial. From the conferences, the chamber will also determine which procedures will allow a fair and efficient trial. Additionally, the chamber will decide on the timing and manner of disclosure of evidence.