The international legal community has a number of practice manuals which have been created over the years to assist counsel in acquiring and/or developing the substantive information and practical skills necessary to work effectively within the hybrid legal systems utilized in the international criminal courts and tribunals.
Manual on International Criminal Defence: ADC-ICT Developed Practices (2nd Ed.)
The first of these manuals was written and published by the Association of Defence Counsel Practicing Before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ADC-ICTY) in 2011. That Manual was updated and expanded in 2020 by the same Association, now known as the Association of Defence Counsel Practicing Before the International Courts and Tribunals (ADC-ICT).
Read manual here
Practitioners Handbook on Defence Investigations
In 2017, a manual on the structure, legal parameters and recommended techniques for successful defence investigations was published by the Defence Office for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Read handbook here
A Guide for Ukrainian Lawyers Practicing in Domestic War Crimes Cases (1) & Handbook for Legal Professionals in Ukraine Ensuring the Fairness of Conflict Related Trials (2)
In November 2024, the Ukrainian Bar Association, in conjunction with USAIDS, published a defence practice manual to assist Ukrainian defence counsel representing accused, many during trials in absentia, in the Ukrainian domestic war crimes courts. That manual focused not only on practical skills but the application of international legal principles and jurisprudence in domestic courts.
As of the date of this posting the Asser Institute in The Hague is anticipating the launch in June 2025 of its manual addressing fair trial practices and standards in the Ukrainian war crimes courts.
Read handbook (1) here and (2) here
Defence Manuals
Though these manuals are a rich source of information for practicing lawyers, court personnel, law students and others, the way to obtain access to them is not always self-evident.
Among other things, tribunals have shut down, websites have closed, and resources once available to support and develop these kinds of legal resources curtailed or terminated.
To address this development and to assure that access to these valuable resources is not limited or lost, 9BR Chambers has launched a web page to host the manuals.
The Defence Manuals page contains links to the existing practice manuals and will be updated to include new materials as they become available.
