Registar Appointed for the International Criminal Court

The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights welcomes the announcement yesterday by the President of the ICC in The Hague that Bruno Cathala of France has been selected as Registrar of the International Criminal Court. With the appointment of the Registrar, the heads of all three organs of the Court have now been filled, and the ICC can move ahead to become a fully functioning institution.

Mr. Cathala was unanimously elected by the ICC’s 18 judges in the first round of voting for a 5 year term.

In October 2002, Mr Cathala was entrusted by the ASP with the task of serving as the ICC’s Director of Common Services (the interim administrative branch of Court), which was effectively the position of acting Registrar. In this capacity, Mr. Cathala earned the confidence of colleagues at the court and of States Parties, making practical arrangements for the smooth beginning of the Court’s operation.

As the Registrar, Mr. Cathala is the principal administrative officer of the ICC, charged with the non-judicial aspects of the administration and servicing of the Court. Among the most important challenges on the horizon, the Registrar must establish an effective Victims and Witnesses Unit. According to the Rome Statute, “this Unit shall provide, in consultation with the Office of the Prosecutor, protective measures and security arrangements, counseling and other appropriate assistance for witnesses, victims who appear before the Court, and others who are at risk on account of testimony given by such witnesses.” Another key challenge will be to ensure proper support and assistance for the defence, including assisting persons accused by the Court to obtain legal assistance from qualified counsel and arranging legal aid.

Mr. Cathala is a qualified official, with vast experience in judicial administration both in France and in international criminal tribunals. After serving as a judge in the French Judiciary Service and holding several posts in the Ministry of Justice dealing with different aspects of judicial administration from 1982 to 2001, he went on to serve as Deputy Registrar at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.