MANILA — Former president Rodrigo Duterte has appointed veteran international criminal law expert Peter Haynes as his new lead counsel before the International Criminal Court (ICC), replacing British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman just weeks before a scheduled status conference in The Hague.
The change in Duterte’s legal team was confirmed in a filing released Tuesday by ICC Trial Chamber III, signaling a major development in the former president’s defense in the crimes against humanity case linked to his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
In the filing, Kaufman said Haynes had agreed to immediately take over Duterte’s legal representation and was prepared to handle the upcoming proceedings before the tribunal.
“Counsel has spoken to Mr. Haynes who has indeed confirmed that he is ready willing and able to assume immediate representation and that his terms of engagement have been agreed,” Kaufman said in the filing.
“Counsel informed Mr. Haynes of pending deadlines and Mr. Haynes assured him that he will be able to attend the status conference set for 27 May 2026,” he added.
Haynes is a veteran barrister specializing in international criminal and humanitarian law.
Based on his profile at St. Philips Barristers, Haynes has appeared before several major international tribunals, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the ICC, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Among the high-profile cases he handled was the defense of General Vinko Pandurević before the ICTY in relation to the Srebrenica massacre.
At the ICC, Haynes also represented former Democratic Republic of Congo vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba and helped secure the reversal of Bemba’s conviction on appeal.
In 2024, the ICC appointed Haynes to represent Joseph Kony during the court’s first in absentia hearings.
Haynes also served as president of the International Criminal Court Bar Association from 2019 to 2021 and became the first official reelected to the position./PN
