ICC grants Nicholas Kaufman's request to withdraw as Rodrigo Duterte's counsel
The International Criminal Court Trial Chamber III has granted Nicholas Kaufman's request to withdraw as former president Rodrigo Duterte's counsel.
This comes after the British-Israeli lawyer submitted his request on May 8.
"The Request indicates that the Accused has expressed a desire to release Mr. Kaufman from his representation and hire another counsel to replace him," the court documents released on May 11 read.
"Having considered the present stage of the proceedings and the aforementioned factors, the Chamber is of the view that no prejudice arises or inconvenience is caused by accepting Mr. Kaufman's withdrawal."
The name of Duterte's new counsel has yet to be publicized.
Kaufman isn't the only member of Duterte's defense team to withdraw, as ICC Trial Chamber III also granted Dov Jacobs' request to pull out as Duterte's associate counsel. The French lawyer said that the decision was made because Duterte plans to restructure his legal team before the ICC trial begins.
Kaufman was named as the lead counsel by Vice President Sara Duterte in March 2025.
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.”
The Presidency of the ICC formed the Trial Chamber consisting of judges Joanna Korner, Keebong Paek, and Nicolas Guillou.
The Trial Chamber will hold status conferences with the prosecution and defense teams.
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.
Article 63 of the Rome Statute dictates that accused persons have to be present in the courtroom during their trial.
Duterte previously waived his right to attend his confirmation of charges hearing in February. Duterte was also absent from the pre-trial court hearing on April 22 for the defense's appeal on jurisdiction.
The last time Duterte was seen in the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber was on March 14, 2025, two days after he was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He appeared via video link from his detention cell at The Hague.
