Disclosure of Witnesses a Major Issue As Lubanga Case Prepares for Trial

As the starting date for the trial of Thomas Lubanga grows nearer, the court is considering whether the prosecution must disclose at an early point the names of its witnesses and whether holding all or portions of the trial in the Congo would be appropriate. Lubanga is accused of conscripting and enlisting children to fight in his militia in eastern Congo from July 2002 to December 2003, and his trial will be the first trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC). At a pretrial hearing on October 7, 2007, presiding judge Adrian Fulford said he favored starting the trial in mid-February and asked the prosecution to present a summary of its case in November...[more]