Special Court for Sierra Leone
Press and Public Affairs Office

PRESS RELEASE
Freetown, Sierra Leone, 16 March 2004

Justice Renate Winter to act as President of the Special Court

On 16 March 2004, Registrar Robin Vincent issued the following statement:

"At a recent Plenary meeting held in Freetown, amongst those Rules of Procedures and Evidence which were considered for review was Rule 18, which addresses the election of the Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber, who by virtue of that position is also the President of the Court.

"The Plenary decided unanimously to approve an amendment to Rule 18 to the effect that the Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber shall be elected for a non-renewable term of one year.

"As a result of this amendment, Justice Geoffrey Robertson QC has now completed his term of office as Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber and President of the Court. However, he remains a Judge of the Appeals Chamber.

The Plenary itself was adjourned to May 2004 and, in accordance with Rule 21 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the serving Vice President, Justice Renate Winter, will act as the President until an election is held in May 2004."

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