ICC trial chamber names Judge Joanna Korner as presiding judge in Duterte case

Judge Joanna Korner of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been elected as the presiding judge of the Trial Chamber III that will hear the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte in relation to his war on illegal drugs.

In a three-page document, the trial chamber made known its decision to elect Korner as its presiding judge, less than a week after the ICC Presidency constituted the three-member chamber.

“The Judges of the Chamber, pursuant to Regulation 13(2) of the Regulations, have elected Judge Joanna Korner as the Presiding Judge,” the document dated April 29 read.

“For these reasons, the chamber hereby designates Judge Joanna Korner as the Presiding Judge,” it added.

On April 24, the ICC Presidency constituted the ICC Trial Chamber III that will hear the crimes against humanity case against the 81-year-old Duterte in relation to his anti-narcotics campaign during his term as Davao City mayor and later as President.

The Trial Chamber III will be composed of Korner, Judge Keebong Paek, and Judge Nicolas Guillou.

According to the ICC website, Korner has a 10-year term in the ICC Trial Division from March 2021 to March 2030.

READ: Who are the ICC judges assigned to Rodrigo Duterte's trial?

Korner is a British judge who studied at the Inns of Court School of Law and practiced criminal law for over 45 years.

In 2004, she was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (“CMG) for services to international law.

Before joining the ICC, she served as a judge of the Crown Court of England and Wales since 2012, handling criminal cases including fraud and murder.

She became the Queen’s counsel in 1993 and prosecuted and defended cases in England and Wales courts.

From 1999 to 2004 and 2009 to 2012, Korner served as senior prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

She also organized and taught in several training programs on international criminal law and advocacy for judges and lawyers from different regions.

Korner served as senior legal adviser to the Chief Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2004 to 2005, during the establishment of a War Crimes Section in the country’s State Prosecutor's Office. — JMA, GMA News