Statement by Mechanism Judges on the “Ethical Principles for International Criminal Judges”

Today, during their in-person Plenary Session in Arusha, the Judges of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) considered the “Ethical Principles for International Criminal Judges” (Ethical Principles), which were adopted in Paris on 15 May 2023 within the framework of the “Ethica” project. This initiative was organised by the French national school for the judiciary, in partnership with the International Nuremberg Principles Academy and the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights.

The Judges held an in-depth discussion on the 25 Ethical Principles, which cover three main themes: judicial independence and impartiality; privacy, dignity and probity; and career and professional conscience. They acknowledged the value and relevance of the Ethical Principles, which are intended to provide overall guidance to international criminal judges and are mindful of their different circumstances and roles, including as a president or vice-president of a tribunal, a full-time or part-time judge, or a judge on a roster.

At the conclusion of their exchanges, the Judges agreed to recognise the Ethical Principles as an important complement to the existing code of judicial conduct and provisions regulating the duties and functions of Judges of the Mechanism.