Opening of the Judicial Year 2018
Event with Focus on the Legal Profession |
The Hague | Netherlands (the) | Western European and other States
On 18 January 2018, the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "Court") marked the opening of its judicial year by organising a ceremony at the seat of the Court in The Hague, Netherlands. H.E. Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, President of Trinidad and Tobago was the distinguished guest speaker at the ceremony, which was attended by senior judges from the national jurisdictions of 25 States Parties to the Rome Statute as well as 8 regional or international courts, together with members of the diplomatic corps, international organisations and civil society.
It was the first time that the ICC formally marked the opening of the judicial year, which also coincided with the launch of commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute, the Court's founding treaty.
Opening remarks of ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi at the Ceremony for the Opening of the ICC Judicial Year 2018 | Video
Address of the President of Trinidad and Tobago, S.E. Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, at the Opening of the ICC Judicial Year 2018 | Video
Through specific judicial events and activities, the Court seeks to increase awareness and enhance cooperation with national judicial actors and the legal profession in general. Some of the overall goals are to promote the specialisation and training of lawyers in the law of the Statute and the Rules as per Regulation 140 of the Rules of the Registry, promote dialogue and exchange of expertise, foster a sense of community, increase awareness and support for the Court amongst national, regional and international judicial institutions, as well as develop knowledge and skills, share mutually relevant information, and build and maintain operational and technical relationships with bar associations and the ICC listed Counsel, thus providing a forum for consultations with the legal profession.