Following the 2009 report published by the International Criminal Court regarding Legal Aid, the Victims’ Rights Working Group in collaboration with REDRESS have submitted a paper to further critique these issues.
The ICC’s report contributed positively to the debate on legal aid for victims, raising serious considerations in ensuring their effective participation in the proceedings, and providing a useful first framework with which to consider the implementation of the Court’s activities. However, we remain concerned about the delay in issuing the new procedural forms and their continued unavailability to civil society in situation countries. Furthermore, we note with concern the continued resistance against integrating the declaration of indigence and accepting a possible investigation into means into the form.