First Defence Filings at the STL Following their recent appointment, Counsel representing Assad Sabra in the case of Ayyash et al have submitted the first defence filings at the STL. David Young of 9 Bedford Row, Lead Counsel for Sabra, and Dr Guénaël Mettraux of Doughty Street, Co-Counsel for Sabra, have put forward objections to the Victims’ Participation Unit’s filing of all applications for the status of victim participating in the proceedings confidentially and ex parte on the basis that such an approach endangers guarantees of due process and fairness to the accused. The full Motion requesting an Order for the VPU to re-file its Annexes inter partes or to seek protective measures from the Pre-Trial Judge is available here. Mr Sabra’s Defence Counsel also filed supplementary submissions on 29th February 2012 regarding the entry into force of amendments to the STL’s Rule 86(C), which governs victims’ applications to participate in the proceedings. The proposed amendments are said to restrict the scope of permissible submissions by the Defence and Prosecution to legal issues, and thereby affect the right of the Defence to be heard. The full submissions are available here. On the 23rd February, Defence Counsel filed a motion seeking the Prosecution’s compliance with a Pre-Trial Judge’s Order for disclosure. The full Motion is available here. | 
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