THE International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Registry has appointed Kate Gibson as Associate Counsel for former president Rodrigo Duterte, according to a notification released Tuesday.
The appointment, formalized on May 18, 2026, came at the request of Peter Haynes KC, who was named as Duterte’s lead counsel on May 15. Haynes requested Gibson’s assistance for the defense team in the proceedings before the court.
Gibson has accepted the mandate and confirmed to the Registry that she has no conflicts of interest or impediments to representing Duterte, in compliance with the ICC’s Code of Professional Conduct. She had previously executed the required solemn undertakings, which remain valid throughout the proceedings.
The appointment follows the departure of Nicholas Kaufman, who was granted leave to withdraw as Duterte’s counsel by Trial Chamber III on May 11.
Gibson is an Australian barrister and Associate Tenant at Doughty Street Chambers in London, specializing in international criminal and human rights law. She holds a Masters in International Law from Cambridge University and has practiced before international tribunals since 2005.
She is best known for her role in the defense team of former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, which secured an acquittal from the ICC Appeals Chamber in 2018 — a rare reversal at the court. That team was led by Haynes, now Duterte’s lead counsel.
Gibson has also represented Bosco Ntaganda, the Congolese warlord convicted of war crimes; Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony; former Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadžić on appeal; and former Liberian president Charles Taylor on appeal.
She also represented Rohingya victims in the ICC’s Bangladesh/Myanmar situation and served as a legal consultant to the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.
Gibson is a former president of the Association of Defense Counsel practicing before the International Courts and Tribunals and a member of the ICC Bar Association.
