June 11, 2009 - Naharnet - Special Tribunal for Lebanon Amends Some Rules of Procedure and Evidence

The international tribunal's judges have unanimously adopted amendments to 14 rules in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon announced Wednesday.It said in a statement that the court's president proposed these amendments in view of the first procedural steps taken by the tribunal, and following consultations with the office of the prosecutor, the office of the defense and the registrar.The amendments are designed to further enhance and facilitate proceedings before the court that will try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins, the statement said."The amendments relate to the investigation stage of the proceedings (rules 16, 18, 77 and 96); the effect of non compliance by states with tribunal requests and orders (rules 20, 21); the senior management board and the functions of the registrar (rule 38 and 48); service of judicial documents (rule 75bis); warrants of arrest (rule 79); detention on remand (rule 101); and disclosure of confidential information (rule 117-119)," according to the statement. "The judges adopted these rules pursuant to rule 5(F) of the rules of procedure and evidence – this procedure allows amendments to be adopted other than at plenary sessions, provided they are unanimously approved by the judges," the statement added.