In this episode of Called to the Bar: International Law Over Drinks, host Dr Juliette McIntyre (University of South Australia) is joined by A/Prof Tamsin Phillipa Paige (Deakin Law School) and special guest Kate Gibson, an international criminal defence lawyer with nearly two decades of experience before the world’s most prominent tribunals.

From the ICTR to the ICC, Kate has represented accused persons in cases arising from conflicts in Rwanda, the DRC, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, and the former Yugoslavia. A former President of the Association of Defence Counsel Practising before International Courts and Tribunals, she brings a candid, insider’s view of what it means to uphold the rights of the accused in complex international prosecutions.

Together, the panel explores the conditions facing defence lawyers - including underfunding, structural inequities, and the challenge of maintaining fairness in systems requiring the support of states. They also consider the ethical and procedural dilemmas of defending clients tried in absentia.

As always, these are informal conversations over drinks, reflecting the personal views of the participants and not those of their institutions.

Recommendations

ICC proceedings livestream, https://www.icc-cpi.int/streaming-all-displays

Yvonne McDermott Rees, Fairness in International Criminal Trials, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/fairness-in-international-criminal-trials-9780198739814

Yvonne McDermott Rees, Proving International Crimes, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/proving-international-crimes-9780198842972?cc=au&lang=en&