(Tokyo, May 30, 2007)

A seminar on international criminal law and its related events were held in Tokyo from 18th to 20th of May.  They were co-organized by the International Criminal Bar (ICB), LAWASIA and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA).  The seminar was held at the significant occasion soon after the Japanese parliament finally approved the Japan's accession to the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 27.

The main purpose of the seminar was to raise awareness about the ICC among bars and lawyers especially in Asia and the Pacific, given the fact that involvement in the ICC from this region is not strong and the number of the state parties to the ICC Statute is limited.  The seminar also aimed to provide an opportunity for criminal lawyers to exchange their views and experiences on criminal procedure in international and domestic fields.  Both of them were attained having around 150 guests and participants from all over the world including countries of Asian and the Pacific such as Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

On May 19, the seminar on international criminal law was held with four guests from the ICC, Mr. Sang Hyun-Song, Judge of the Appeal Division of the Chambers from Korea, Mr. Didier Preira, Head of the Division of Victims and Counsels, Ms. Paolina Massidda, Principal Counsel of Office of Public Counsel for Victims, and Mr. Xavier-Jean Keïta, Principal Counsel of Office of Public Counsel for the Defense.  Registrar Bruno Cathala, an expected guest, could not join the Seminar on account of urgent business.  Panel discussions were held on the equality of arms and victims in domestic/ international criminal procedure by its experts, following opening remarks by co-organizers and keynote speeches by Mr. Song and Mr. Preira from the ICC.  During the lunchtime, a special seminar was also held on the role of judiciary and lawyers in the peace reconstruction taking a case of the Timor-Leste (earlier East Timor) as an example.

As related events to the seminar, on May 18, ICB/ LAWASIA/ JFBA meeting with the ICC officials and bar leaders in Asia and the Pacific was held as well as the Council Meeting of the ICB.  In the former meeting, following brief introduction to the ICC and the ICB, bar leaders from Australia, Korea, Nepal, Cambodia and Japan explained each countries developments and trends on ICC and issues which ICC handles.  Also, on May 20, an international criminal law training, organized by the ICB, was held, which provided around 40 participants with a valuable opportunity to learn exhaustive knowledge and practice on ICC. 

With respect to the Japan's coming accession to the Rome Statute,  Mr. Ichiro Komatsu, Director-General of the International Legal Affairs Bureau, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, expressed in the seminar that Japan's accession would enter into force on the 1st of coming October.

The JFBA hopes that the seminar marked a momentum for many lawyers in Asia and the Pacific including Japan to become more involved in the ICC and international criminal issues. 

Posted on 2007-June-7