Richard Dicker Quotations

The proceedings must be fair and be seen to be fair, and that means ensuing that the accused can vigorously defend themselves.

The people of northern Uganda have long suffered terrible abuses without any chance of redress, ... With today's arrest warrants, the ICC has opened the door for justice to be done.

She is the principal figure to date to be sentenced by the tribunal, and when you add the confession of guilt it makes for a significant milestone in the work of the tribunal.

Politically, it makes sense to be an exponent of justice.

Nigeria must ensure that Taylor is not permitted to flee from justice and the international community must ensure that security in Liberia is maintained during this process.

On the second anniversary of Charles Taylor's flight to Nigeria, his continued impunity is undermining the rule of law in West Africa and putting civilians in the region at risk.

if effective measures are not implemented to provide security for defense attorney who are clearly at risk.

For the U.S. government and the United Nations not to press Nigeria to hand Taylor over will send a clear message that the law only reaches so far.

have a chilling effect on the willingness of competent lawyers to vigorously defend the accused in these cases.

There is an urgent need for a state to step forward. A prolonged delay would raise real questions about the commitment of the international community to international justice.

I think we need to dial down our expectations of the history-telling functions of these trials.

I think there is a danger ... of this spinning out of control,

I think there have been real difficulties and problems in the Milosevic trial. What will be important is the evidence that was presented to indicate the motivation and intent of Milosevic.

I think indeed that these trials need to be conducted on a more focused basis than the Milosevic trial was. Of necessity, some of these criminal trials will not be able to tell anywhere near the full story of what happened.

The problem will occur if judges are not able to insulate the tribunal against that influence. If they are unable to do that, then there are going to be serious questions about the tribunal's fairness and credibility.

To minimize the risks involved, the court must make sure the lawyers it appoints mount a vigorous defense.

We call on all governmental and inter-governmental actors in West Africa to ensure Taylor promptly appears for trial. The U.N. peacekeeping forces in Liberia and Sierra Leone will need to play their role to ensure justice can be done while stability in West Africa is maintained.

We have grave concerns that the court will not provide the fair trial guarantees required by international law, ... But it's not too late for the tribunal's judges to fix some of these problems if they take steps to ensure a fair trial.

We have grave concerns that the court will not ensure fair trial,

This reluctance to press Nigeria to hand over Taylor fosters a double standard that betrays the people of Sierra Leone,

We think there is a certainly a credible basis for this investigation by the tribunal given the facts that we have gathered.

There are lessons for the prosecution to learn and lessons for the judges to learn. The length of the trial underscores the importance of focusing on the key charges.

We will look very carefully at how the judges respond to motions submitted by the defense, including requests for more time to allow adequate preparation.

We understand that any trial will need to be accessible to the victims of the crimes, and to those in whose names the crimes were committed, ... But if it proves impossible to conduct a fair trial because of the security conditions, the question arises of relocating the trial elsewhere to allow for a fair proceeding.

U.S. ambassadors have been acting like schoolyard bullies. The U.S. campaign has not succeeded in undermining global support for the court. But it has succeeded in making the U.S. government look foolish and mean-spirited.

Countries should be lining up to take Taylor, not backing away.

President Obasanjo must promptly comply with the request for Taylor's surrender. Consultation with other African leaders should not buy Taylor any more time to escape facing justice for his alleged crimes.

A fair trial requires defense counsel who can defend their clients zealously, without fear of reprisal.

Now more than ever, we urge international donors to provide adequate funding so the court can complete its work successfully.

Despite shortcomings, it was a momentous day for Iraqis. It sends a signal that the days of unlimited impunity for these types of crimes may be winding down.

This could have a chilling effect on the willingness of competent lawyers to vigorously defend the accused and that could have a fatal effect on the fairness and effectiveness of the trial.

This is a disturbingly low threshold. It's a real anomaly that reflects Iraqi law but not developing international law.

This is a disturbingly low threshold, ... It's a real anomaly that reflects Iraqi law but not developing international law.

This is a crucial moment for Washington to help West Africa break a devastating cycle of impunity.

This musical chairs that they keep playing with the judges raises profound questions about the credibility of the court.

A third country needs to offer a jail cell for Charles Taylor if he's convicted. Countries should be lining up to take Taylor, not backing away.

It was clear that Slobodan Milosevic was not conducting a legal defense to the charges he was facing.

It's a huge setback for justice. Most of all, it's a setback for the victims.

It's the victims that matter most, those who lost relatives, those who suffered. They must feel closure. If the trial's not fair and open, that satisfaction will not result.

It may not be possible to conduct these kinds of highly charged cases in what is a very fragile and unstable environment where there is still armed conflict,

These trials are commencing in an environment of severe insecurity, ... Everyone participating in the trial participation in the trial process judges, prosecutors, victims, witnesses and defense counsel are exposing themselves to grave risks.

These trials are already taking place in an atmosphere of enormous insecurity,

serious human rights shortcomings in the structure of the trial.

In the face of provocative outbursts, the judge has to be firm but not trigger-happy in applying sanctions if fairness is going to be respected.

But investigation does not mean indictment unless the evidence sustains one.

However, all arrangements for witness protection must be consistent with fair trial guarantees.

The judges' inauguration makes this court more unstoppable than ever,

The trial did lay bare evidence of crimes he was alleged to have committed. I don't feel the four years were a waste in this sense. Something of a record has been set out, though short of the finality of a verdict.

This is a historic step which opens doors to justice for people of Northern Uganda who have suffered horribly for nearly 20 years under the hands of the LRA,

This is a historic step, but only a first step because the prosecutor has been silent about crimes by the Ugandan Army.

The ICC must also look into abuses committed by the Ugandan army. If the court finds that these crimes don't fall within its limited mandate, it should make its findings available to the Ugandan authorities so that they can bring the perpetrators to justice. In doing so, the court must also be mindful of the security and confidentiality of its sources.

The ICC must also look into abuses committed by the Ugandan army, ... If the court finds that these crimes don't fall within its limited mandate, it should make its findings available to the Ugandan authorities so that they can bring the perpetrators to justice. In doing so, the court must also be mindful of the security and confidentiality of its sources.