ICC judges asked to comment on Duterte’s disqualification bid

MANILA, Philippines — International Criminal Court (ICC) president Tomoko Akane has requested two judges of the international tribunal to comment on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s plea to disqualify them from ruling on the issue of jurisdiction.

In a four-page order, Akane gave Judges María del Socorro Flores Liera and Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou until May 22 to submit their written observations on the defense plea.

She noted that under the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and the ICC’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence, “challenged judges shall be entitled to present written observations on the application.”

Akane also gave the Office of the Prosecutor until May 22 to file any response.

On May 9, defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman filed a request before the ICC Presidency to disqualify Liera and Alapini-Gansou from adjudicating the issue of jurisdiction.

This is different from the previous defense submission, which merely “invited” the two judges to partially excuse themselves from the proceedings.

In his latest filing, Kaufman claimed that conditions are satisfied to warrant the disqualification of the two judges from ruling on the jurisdiction issue.

ICC chief prosecutor steps aside

The office of ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan yesterday evening announced that he will step aside pending the conclusion of an internal probe into sexual miscoduct allegations against him.

The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services started its investigation on November 2024.

Khan has denied the allegations.