Security Council

4760^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS TERM OF OFFICE FOR FOUR JUDGES

OF INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA

Adopted Unanimously, Resolution 1482 (2003)

Allows for Disposition of Cases in Progress

The Security Council this afternoon extended the term of office of four permanent judges at the International Tribunal for Rwanda, in order to allow them to dispose of a number of ongoing cases.

[Judges Dolenc, Maqutu, Ostrovsky, and Pillay were not re-elected for a second term of office during the elections on 31 January 2003.  The terms of office of 11 of the permanent judges who are currently serving in the Chambers of the International Tribunal for Rwanda will expire on 24 May 2003.]

By unanimously adopting resolution 1482, the Council decided that Judges Dolenc and Ostrovsky would be able to finish the Cyangugu case, which they had begun before the expiration of their terms of office.  Similarly, Judge Maqutu would be able to finish the Kajelijeli and Kamuhanda cases; and Judge Pillay could finish the Media case.

The resolution notes the Tribunal’s intentions to finish the Cyangugu case before the end of February 2004, and the Kajelijeli, Kamuhanda, and Media cases before the end of December 2003.

According to the letter from the President of the Rwanda Tribunal, which contains the request for the extension of judges (document S/2003/431), with one exception, proceedings in the cases in question are well advanced.  If the judges concerned had not been allowed to continue their work, it would have been necessary to start the trials anew with fresh panels of judges and to order the rehearing of witnesses and the representation of arguments.

The meeting was called to order at 1:27 p.m. and adjourned at 1:29 p.m.

Resolution

The full text of resolution 1482 (2003) reads, as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Taking note of the letter to the President of the Council from the Secretary-General dated 16 April 2003, attaching the letter to him from the President of the International Tribunal for Rwanda dated 26 March 2003 (S/2003/431),

“Taking note also of the letter from the President of the Security Council to the President of the International Criminal Court dated 30 April 2003 and the reply from the Vice-President of the International Criminal Court dated 2 May 2003 (S/2003/554), and of the letter from the President of the Security Council to the Secretary-General dated 30 April 2003 (S/2003/550) and the reply from the Secretary-General dated 8 May 2003 attaching the letter to him from the President of the International Tribunal for Rwanda dated 6 May 2003 (S/2003/551),

“1.   Decides in response to the request by the Secretary General that:

(a)   Judge Dolenc, once replaced as a member of the Tribunal, finish the Cyangugu case which he has begun before expiry of his term of office;

(b)   Judge Maqutu, once replaced as a member of the Tribunal, finish the Kajelijeli and Kamuhanda cases which he has begun before expiry of his term of office;

(c)   Notwithstanding Article 11, paragraph 1, of the Statute of the Tribunal and on an exceptional basis, Judge Ostrovsky, once replaced as a member of the Tribunal, finish the Cyangugu case which he has begun before expiry of his term of office;

(d)   Judge Pillay, once replaced as a member of the Tribunal, finish the Media case which she has begun before expiry of her term of office;

“2.   Takes note in this regard of the intention of the Tribunal to finish the Cyangugu case before the end of February 2004 and the Kajelijeli, Kamuhanda and Media cases before the end of December 2003;

“3.   Requests the President of the Tribunal to provide it, by 1 August 2003, by 15 November 2003 and by 15 January 2004, with reports on the progress of the cases referred to in paragraph 1 above.”

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