Right to personally participate in appeal proceedings

Notion(s) Filing Case
Decision on Assignment of Counsel - 20.10.2006 ŠEŠELJ Vojislav
(IT-03-67-AR73.3)

In its Decision of 21 August 2006, Trial Chamber I had appointed a defence counsel to Šešelj and clarified that the accused could participate to the proceedings only through such counsel. The accused’s personal participation could only have been allowed by the Trial Chamber after having taken “into account all circumstances and after having heard from the Counsel”.[1] The Appeals Chamber, recalling a principle laid down in the Milošević case[2], affirmed that an accused can file submissions to the Appeals Chamber in an appeal filed by his Counsel, even if the authorization of the Trial Chamber is missing.[3]

[1] Impugned Decision, para. 80.

[2] Milošević Decision on Defence Counsel, paras. 7 and 16.

[3] Decision, paras. 11-12.

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