The International Criminal Court has approved the withdrawal of Nicholas Kaufman as lead defense counsel for former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. Trial Chamber III issued a five-page decision stating that the change causes no prejudice or inconvenience.
Trial judges at the ICC accepted Kaufman's request after he informed them last Friday that Duterte planned to appoint new counsel. The identity of the replacement remains undisclosed. Kaufman had been hired for a one-year term that ended on March 31.
In the ruling, the chamber noted that Kaufman must still follow the Code of Professional Conduct for counsel. He is also bound by confidentiality rules under the Rome Statute and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
The decision was released yesterday in The Hague. It marks the end of Kaufman's formal role in the case against Duterte.
