MANILA, Philippines -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has scheduled the next two status conferences on the case against former president Rodrigo Duterte for June 23 and July 14, as judges intensify preparations for trial and impose strict procedural deadlines.
The scheduling comes as the ICC Trial Chamber III, led by Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, continues managing pre-trial proceedings alongside firm directions on hearings, disclosure, and evidence handling, while also urging continuous hearings through to the Christmas recess, subject to medical findings.
During procedural directions, Korner said the court should be prepared to sit on a continuous basis until the end-of-year recess, depending on the outcome of updated medical assessments on Duterte’s fitness to stand trial.
She stressed that trial scheduling remains contingent on medical findings, which will also determine whether adjustments are needed to the pace and structure of hearings.
Tight hearing structure and interpretation planning
Judges directed the ICC Registry to ensure interpretation services will be available for opening statements, even if full interpreter capacity for witness testimony is not yet in place.
The court emphasized the importance of making opening remarks accessible to all parties and observers, given the multilingual nature of expected proceedings.
Strict disclosure and evidence deadlines
The chamber set a detailed timetable for filings leading up to trial.
The prosecution must submit its provisional witness and evidence list by June 29, followed by its final trial brief, final witness list, and full evidence inventory by Aug. 31.
The same Aug. 31 deadline applies to any new incidents, expert reports, or additional evidence, with late submissions allowed only in exceptional cases and requiring strong justification and judicial approval.
On the defense side, the court set an Oct. 30 deadline for the indication of issues to be raised at trial, while the victims’ legal representative must submit its trial brief by Sept. 28. Pre-trial motions are also due by Aug. 31 unless urgent.
*Evidence management concerns*
Judges warned against the risk of excessive or repetitive documentary submissions that could overwhelm proceedings.
The prosecution is currently reviewing more than 600 documentary items and is expected to significantly narrow its evidentiary package before trial.
The chamber emphasized that only relevant and probative materials should be presented, signaling stricter judicial scrutiny of documentary and video evidence.
*Conduct of proceedings and procedural framework*
Parties were given until June 5 to propose amendments to the procedural framework governing the conduct of trial.
While the ICC indicated it would generally follow the established Al-Rahman case model, judges said key evidentiary decisions may be made at the time documents are tendered in court, rather than through broad pre-admission of evidence.
The chamber also encouraged both prosecution and defense to agree on as many factual issues as possible to streamline trial proceedings and reduce contested matters.
*Next steps*
The June 23 and July 14 status conferences are expected to further refine procedural arrangements as the ICC moves closer to the anticipated start of the Nov. 30 trial proceedings, with timelines and structure still subject to medical assessments and ongoing disclosure compliance.
