The Security Council yesterday unanimously agreed to amend the Tribunal’s Statute. Security Council resolution 1660 (2006) permits the Secretary-General to appoint, at the request of the Tribunal President, reserve judges from the Tribunal’s pool of ad litem Judges to specific trials. Reserve judges will be present at each stage of a trial and may replace a judge on a bench if he or she is unable to continue sitting.

This measure assists the Tribunal in its efforts to complete its work by avoiding situations in which a specific trial would have to be restarted if one of the judges on the bench is unable to continue.

The Tribunal’s Statute was established by Security Council resolution 827 (1993) on 25 May 1993 and has been subsequently amended as needed to enhance the Tribunal’s judicial capacity. The Tribunal has 16 permanent judges elected by the UN General Assembly as well as nine ad litem judges. The ad litem judges are appointed to sit on a specific trial. This appointment is made by the Secretary-General at the request of the Tribunal's president, from a pool of 27 judges elected by the UN General Assembly.

An official text of Security Council resolution 1660 (2006) is available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8653.doc.htm

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Courtroom proceedings can be followed on the Tribunal’s website.