Suggest trial venue, Uhuru lawyers told

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President Kenyatta. The ICC has directed President Kenyatta’s defence and the prosecution to file suggestions on where the court should sit for trial. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By NATION REPORTER
Posted  Monday, July 29   2013 at  22:32

ICC has directed President Kenyatta’s defence and the prosecution to file suggestions on where the court should sit for trial.

The trial chamber has given the parties up to August 13 to decide whether the opening of the trial— set for November 12— should be held in Kenya or Tanzania, or a venue of the chamber’s choice.

In the chamber’s communication yesterday, presiding judge Kuniko Ozaki said the application seeking a change in the venue was made by Mr Francis Muthaura’s defence, and since the charges against him were withdrawn, “the procedure initiated by the application should, in principle, no longer continue.”

“The chamber therefore seeks the parties’ and participants’ observations on the question whether the chamber may consider the matter on its own and issue a recommendation to the presidency irrespective of the discontinuance of the procedure initiated by the application,” the statement read in part.

Last month, the trial chamber suggested to its presidency to hold the start of Mr William Ruto’s and Mr Joshua arap Sang’s trials in Kenya or Tanzania. The final decision on the venue has to be made by the judges in plenary session by a two-thirds majority.