How can the OPCD provide “institutional” support for the Defence?

The role of the OPCD is more akin to providing institutional support when it is approached (for instance for legal advice) by assigned Counsel or lead Counsel, or when it receives a request from a person entitled to legal assistance.
As a permanent component of the Court, the OPCD seeks to contribute to “equality of arms” (as an ingredient of a fair trial) and to broaden the institutional knowledge and skills of the Defence. In practice, this takes the form of studies on procedural and substantive aspects of international criminal law and drafting of legal opinions that can be made available to the Defence at short notice.
The OPCD seeks to constitute an institutional memory for the Defence before the Court and to establish a resource centre and a legal and case law database.