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J'can Judge Robinson hailed for tenure as ICTY president
Friday, November 18, 2011
DISTINGUISHED Jamaican jurist Patrick Robinson completed his three-year tenure as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) yesterday and was immediately praised by his successor as a remarkable leader who has demonstrated a commitment to due process and fairness.
The new president of the court, Theodor Meron, also hailed Robinson as a fierce advocate of the ICTY who has fought tirelessly for staff rights and to ensure that the court functioned with adequate resources.
ROBINSON… described as a paradigm of commitment to due process and fairness
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"Over the last three years, Judge Robinson has been a remarkable leader, ably guiding our institution with dedication and purpose," Meron said in a statement.
Meron, a Pole who served as ICTY president between March 2003 and November 2005, said that Robinson was a "paradigm of commitment to due process and fairness" during the Ramush Haradinaj case, adding that the Jamaican "remained extremely sensitive to the rights of defendants and appellants".
The ICTY was established in 1993 by the United Nations to deal with war crimes committed during the Balkans conflicts in the 1990s.
Since its establishment, it has changed the landscape of international humanitarian law and provided victims with an opportunity to voice the horrors they witnessed and experienced.
Yesterday, in his statement, Meron said that Robinson's open mind and even-tempered approach have been a tremendous asset to the Bench.
Addressing Robinson's advocacy on behalf of the ICTY, Meron said the Jamaican judge "has been a staunch and systematic defender of judges and judicial independence, and he has confronted criticisms levelled against the Tribunal for the pace of its work courageously".
Added Meron: "He has also drawn the attention of the Security Council, the General Assembly, and others to the challenges facing the Tribunal with respect to the loss of key staff, repeatedly proposing concrete, practical solutions. And he has fought tirelessly for staff rights with regard to eligibility for longer contracts, and on the matter of retention bonuses. He has, in short, been a force to be reckoned with in terms of defending the Tribunal and ensuring that it has the people and resources necessary to fulfil its mandate as a court of law."
Meron also said that Robinson has demonstrated a passionate commitment to ensuring that the Tribunal has a lasting and valuable impact in the countries of the former Yugoslavia and beyond.
In addition, Robinson was instrumental in helping to launch and ensure the success of the Joint War Crimes Project, which was established to build the capacity of national jurisdictions in the former Yugoslavia by facilitating the transfer of the ICTY's unique institutional knowledge and specialised skills and ensuring that these jurisdictions have access to the Tribunal's relevant materials in a useable form.
The new ICTY president also noted that Robinson worked to provide tangible support to victims in the former Yugoslavia, seeking to put them on par with victims in cases before the International Criminal Court by calling for the establishment of a trust fund to facilitate community-based assistance.
"Thanks to his leadership and advocacy on this issue, the International Organisation for Migration has now secured funding to carry out a comprehensive assessment study aimed at providing guidance to the Tribunal on appropriate and feasible victim assistance measures and possible means of financing," said Meron.
"Through all of his efforts on behalf of the Tribunal, Judge Robinson has shown us, time and time again, not only his abiding concern for the rights and well-being of others, but also what a deeply humane person he is."
Meron said the ICTY was fortunate to have had Robinson as its president for the past three years and expressed pleasure that the Jamaican judge will continue to serve the Tribunal.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1e3OyMDHd
Friday, November 18, 2011
DISTINGUISHED Jamaican jurist Patrick Robinson completed his three-year tenure as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) yesterday and was immediately praised by his successor as a remarkable leader who has demonstrated a commitment to due process and fairness.
The new president of the court, Theodor Meron, also hailed Robinson as a fierce advocate of the ICTY who has fought tirelessly for staff rights and to ensure that the court functioned with adequate resources.
ROBINSON… described as a paradigm of commitment to due process and fairness
1/1
"Over the last three years, Judge Robinson has been a remarkable leader, ably guiding our institution with dedication and purpose," Meron said in a statement.
Meron, a Pole who served as ICTY president between March 2003 and November 2005, said that Robinson was a "paradigm of commitment to due process and fairness" during the Ramush Haradinaj case, adding that the Jamaican "remained extremely sensitive to the rights of defendants and appellants".
The ICTY was established in 1993 by the United Nations to deal with war crimes committed during the Balkans conflicts in the 1990s.
Since its establishment, it has changed the landscape of international humanitarian law and provided victims with an opportunity to voice the horrors they witnessed and experienced.
Yesterday, in his statement, Meron said that Robinson's open mind and even-tempered approach have been a tremendous asset to the Bench.
Addressing Robinson's advocacy on behalf of the ICTY, Meron said the Jamaican judge "has been a staunch and systematic defender of judges and judicial independence, and he has confronted criticisms levelled against the Tribunal for the pace of its work courageously".
Added Meron: "He has also drawn the attention of the Security Council, the General Assembly, and others to the challenges facing the Tribunal with respect to the loss of key staff, repeatedly proposing concrete, practical solutions. And he has fought tirelessly for staff rights with regard to eligibility for longer contracts, and on the matter of retention bonuses. He has, in short, been a force to be reckoned with in terms of defending the Tribunal and ensuring that it has the people and resources necessary to fulfil its mandate as a court of law."
Meron also said that Robinson has demonstrated a passionate commitment to ensuring that the Tribunal has a lasting and valuable impact in the countries of the former Yugoslavia and beyond.
In addition, Robinson was instrumental in helping to launch and ensure the success of the Joint War Crimes Project, which was established to build the capacity of national jurisdictions in the former Yugoslavia by facilitating the transfer of the ICTY's unique institutional knowledge and specialised skills and ensuring that these jurisdictions have access to the Tribunal's relevant materials in a useable form.
The new ICTY president also noted that Robinson worked to provide tangible support to victims in the former Yugoslavia, seeking to put them on par with victims in cases before the International Criminal Court by calling for the establishment of a trust fund to facilitate community-based assistance.
"Thanks to his leadership and advocacy on this issue, the International Organisation for Migration has now secured funding to carry out a comprehensive assessment study aimed at providing guidance to the Tribunal on appropriate and feasible victim assistance measures and possible means of financing," said Meron.
"Through all of his efforts on behalf of the Tribunal, Judge Robinson has shown us, time and time again, not only his abiding concern for the rights and well-being of others, but also what a deeply humane person he is."
Meron said the ICTY was fortunate to have had Robinson as its president for the past three years and expressed pleasure that the Jamaican judge will continue to serve the Tribunal.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1e3OyMDHd
