THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Feb 22 (Hina) - The presiding judge in the Slobodan Milosevic trial, Briton Richard George May, has informed the president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of his resignation,
effective 31 May 2004, due to health reasons.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Feb 22 (Hina) - The presiding judge in the Slobodan
Milosevic trial, Briton Richard George May, has informed the president
of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of
his resignation, effective 31 May 2004, due to health reasons. #L#
"Judge Richard George May of the United Kingdom has informed me of his
resignation as a Judge of the International Tribunal, effective 31 May
2004, due to health reasons," ICTY president Theodor Meron said in a
statement.
"Judge May?s letter of resignation states that his recent illness will
make it increasingly difficult for him to continue the performance of
his duties and that he believes, however reluctantly, that his
resignation is in the best interests of the Tribunal," Meron said in
the statement without giving details about May's illness.
Meron said he forwarded May's resignation to U.N. Secretary General
Kofi Annan who is expected to appoint his successor soon.
"For more than six years, Judge May?s formidable intellect and
unwavering dedication have made him one of the Tribunal?s mainstays.
Since taking the oath of office in November 1997, Judge May has worked
tirelessly to carry out the Tribunal?s mandate to ensure that persons
accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law are
tried according to procedures that are fair, efficient, and sound,"
Meron said in the statement.
"As a member of Trial Chamber II, Judge May participated in the trial
and final judgement in the cases of Furundzija and Kupreskic. As
Presiding Judge of Trial Chamber III, a position he has held since
November 1998, he has presided over the trials in the cases of Kordic
and Cerkez and, most recently, Milosevic. He deliberated on numerous
sentencing judgements, including in the Celebici Camp case and the
cases of Sikirica, Plavsic, and Banovic. He has also taken part in
hundreds of Trial Chamber decisions on matters of procedure and served
as Presiding Judge of the Tribunal?s Appeals Chamber in the Aleksovski
case," the ICTY president said.
"Judge May has brought his practical wisdom and mastery of substantive
criminal law to bear on many unprecedented challenges. He has
shepherded the Milosevic case, one of historical importance and
daunting dimensions, through a major part of the trial with patience
and care and handled the unique issues presented by that case
creatively and effectively. Judge May?s extraordinary skill is evident
from the striking in all of his cases of an appropriate balance
between the rights of the accused and efficient trial management,"
Meron said.
At the end of the statement, on behalf of the ICTY staff Meron
expressed gratitude to judge May and for his years of service and
wished him a swift and full recovery.
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