The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III denies former President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to require expert verification for evidence drawn from open platforms. In a decision dated Sept. 28, the chamber rejects the defense request to amend the ICC’s E-Court Protocol, arguing the proposed approach could unnecessarily delay the start of Duterte’s trial in his crimes against humanity case.
According to the outlet, the defense seeks stricter authentication and specifically proposes adding an “expert verification” field within the ICC’s electronic case system to document that open-source items have been independently checked. The chamber’s decision indicates it does not accept that change at this stage, prioritizing the trial timeline.
While the reports focus on the chamber’s reasoning about avoiding delays, they also reflect the defense’s broader objective: increasing scrutiny of evidence originating from publicly available sources and strengthening how such material is vetted and recorded before trial proceedings begin.
