Today, 31 October 2013, Trial Chamber V(b) of the International Criminal Court ( ICC) decided to postpone the trial’s commencement in the case against Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta to 5 February 2014 from the initial date November 12th 2013.
The Chamber noted that both the Defence and the Prosecutor are in agreement on postponing the trial date until February 2014. On 24 October 2013, Mr Kenyatta’s Defence had requested the Chamber to vacate the initial date of 12 November 2013. The Prosecution accepted that certain factual matters raised by the Defence merited further investigation and submitted that additional time would allow it to present its evidence, namely witnesses’ testimony, in a logical and coherent sequence.
Noting the interest of justice, the fairness and expeditiousness of the proceedings and, in particular, victims and witnesses, the Chamber expressed its deep regret that repeated adjournments of the trial have been necessary because one or both parties have required more time to prepare. The Chamber urged both parties to accelerate their preparation in order to ensure that no further postponements are required.
