Former President Rodrigo Duterte has tapped veteran British lawyer Peter Haynes to take over his defense before the International Criminal Court following the withdrawal of lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman and associate counsel Dov Jacobs.
The appointment was disclosed in a public ICC filing submitted by Kaufman as Duterte’s legal team undergoes a major transition ahead of trial proceedings in The Hague.
“Yesterday, the Defense team visited Mr Duterte and documented both Mr Duterte’s release of Counsel from his representation and his desire to hire replacement Counsel – Mr Peter Haynes,” the filing stated.
Kaufman also confirmed that Haynes had agreed to immediately assume Duterte’s defense and would be prepared to attend the next status conference scheduled on May 27.
Haynes is regarded as one of the leading practitioners in international criminal and humanitarian law, with more than 25 years of experience before tribunals in The Hague.
The St. Philips Barristers website describes him as “one of the foremost practitioners in International Criminal and Humanitarian Law.”
At the ICC, Haynes previously represented former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba and helped secure Bemba’s acquittal on appeal.
In 2024, the ICC also appointed Haynes to represent the interests of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony during the court’s first-ever in absentia confirmation proceedings.
His legal career has involved high-profile cases connected to genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and international terrorism before the ICC, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
From 2019 to 2021, Haynes served as president of the International Criminal Court Bar Association and became the first person re-elected to the post.
The changes in Duterte’s legal team followed the ICC’s confirmation of crimes against humanity charges tied to killings linked to his anti-drug campaign and alleged Davao Death Squad operations between 2011 and 2019.
Kaufman earlier revealed that Duterte’s longtime partner Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Veronica “Kitty” Duterte selected the incoming replacement lawyer.
Under ICC rules, lawyers cannot automatically withdraw from a case without court approval to ensure continuity of legal representation. ICC Trial Chamber III has since approved Kaufman’s withdrawal request, while Jacobs’ resignation as associate counsel was separately granted by the court.
Duterte remains detained at the ICC detention facility in The Hague while awaiting trial over allegations involving murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity.
