The Security Council of United Nations amended the Statute of The Hague Tribunal because of the case of Ratko Mladić, who is being tried for genocide and war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, enabling the appointment of judges to the Appellate Council on ad hoc and temporary basis.
Therefore, a new article was added to the Statute. The article enables appointment of judges that would decide on possible interlocutory appeals in Mladić’s case, it was stated.
Previously, the President of The Tribunal Judge Carmel Agius notified the Security Council of UN on July 29 that there are currently not enough permanent judges in that case who would deal with possible interlocutory appeals in that first instance procedure against Mladić which is currently in progress.
According to the new article in the Statute, an ad hoc judge can be appointed if no permanent judge who is currently performing that function is available for appointment in the Appellate Council and if all other practical alternatives have been exhausted.
The appointed judge must be a former judge of The Hague Tribunal or the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, who is also a judge of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals.
Mladić is being tried for genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Bosniaks and Croats across Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had the scope of genocide in several municipalities, terrorizing the citizens of Sarajevo, and taking UNPROFOR members as hostages.
(Source: Al Jazeera Balkans)
