The Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia is pleased to announce the formal recognition of the Association of Defence Counsel of the ICTY (ADC-ICTY) as the body representing Defence Counsel practicing at the ICTY.

In July 2002, Rule 44 was amended to allow for the formation of an independent association of defence counsel. Such an association was formed and an application was made to the Registrar for recognition. After a period of study of the constitution of the new Association, the Registrar issued formal recognition in accordance with the new Rule.

The new association has membership requirements which essentially mirror the requirements for admission to the Rule 45 list of counsel eligible for assignment to Tribunal cases. The Rules now provide that one must be a member of the Association to be included on the Rule 45 list.

The objectives of the Association are:

• To support the function and efficiency of Defence Counsel at ICTY
• To encourage Defence Counsel to participate in Tribunal activities
• To advise the Tribunal regarding proposed procedural changes
• To oversee the performance of Defence Counsel at ICTY

The Association is planning a very active training component. The first of these activities is the "basic course" which will make its debut in March or April 2003. The basic course will be required of all persons assigned to a case at ICTY who have not previously tried a case here. The "basic course" will be repeated with some frequency and will be supplemented by an "advanced course" for those who wish to further enhance their knowledge and skills.

One Saturday each month the Association will host the "Saturday Forum" which will be an opportunity for those currently assigned to cases to share their recent experiences with their peers. It is envisioned as a forum for exchange of information and ideas. The first of these programmes is scheduled for the last Saturday in January.

More information is available from the Association’s web site at www.adcicty.com.