Veteran Aussie lawyer joins Duterte’s ICC legal team

International

AUSTRALIAN international law expert Kate Gibson has officially joined former President Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC defense team as associate counsel following her appointment by the new lead counsel, British barrister Peter Haynes.

On May 18, the ICC Registry, the administrative arm of the court, notified Trial Chamber III of the formal addition of the veteran lawyer to the case, confirming Gibson's immediate acceptance of the post.

According to official records, Gibson and Haynes share a ten-year history of working together. Most notably, they handled the defense of Congolese politician Jean-Pierre Bemba, who won a full acquittal from the ICC Appeals Chamber in 2018, effectively overturning his 2016 conviction by Trial Chamber III for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

In addition to the Bemba case, the legal partners also previously worked on the case of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, whose landmark pretrial proceedings went forward in his absence while he remains at large.

An associate at the UK-based Doughty Street Chambers, Gibson has represented former heads of state, military leaders, and victims across global tribunals since 2005. She holds a master's degree in law from Cambridge University and teaches international criminal law and procedure.

She further declares that there are no professional barriers to her representing Duterte, confirming she has no conflict of interest under the ICC’s Code of Professional Conduct.(Hanna Jane A. Cabasag CNU - Main Campus BA COMM Intern)