Protection of witnesses

witness protection

Protection of witnesses, experts and victims

C. Measures to protect witnesses and victims

Witness protection is an issue of paramount concern to the Court.

(ix) Protection of witnesses and victims (articles 24 and 25)

(x) Protection of witnesses and victims (articles 24 and 25)

In favour

The Witness Protection Department has started functioning within the Ministry of the Interior, as well.

(g) Best practices identified and disseminated for the implementation of measures for the protection of witnesses

The protection of witnesses must remain an ongoing concern of both jurisdictions.

The Law on Witness Protection was adopted in May this year.

Negotiating with UN Member States about agreements to accommodate on a temporary or permanent basis within the scope of witness protection.

The cooperation provided by UNMIK in the protection of witnesses has also been sometimes less than optimal.

Witness protection measures can be used also in cooperation with or on a request from another State.

90 99 of 14 July).

Victims of human trafficking get access to witness protection services as stipulated in the Criminal Witness Act of 2003.

We therefore invite the Tribunal to develop with us a joint mechanism for ensuring witness security, including by signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Government of Rwanda on all aspects of witness protection.

One delegation remarked that in some cases the protection of witnesses or of persons who had confessed required that certain information should be kept confidential.

It may also be due to the witness protection problems and to the management and ethical challenges that have plagued the Tribunal, particularly in its earlier years.

Develop and provide gender sensitive programmes of support for victims, including legal assistance and witness protection programmes.

It decided to withhold their names from the public domain so as to respect the suspects' right to due process and to ensure the protection of witnesses from possible harassment or intimidation.

That a witness protection programme be established to eliminate pressure on witnesses.

Requests the Secretary General to pay special attention, within the framework of technical assistance activities, to the issue of the protection of witnesses through extensive investigation and the exchange of information, in order to enable Member States to establish effective witness protection programmes

Activities will focus on the identification and development of best practices in areas related to the Convention, with particular attention to the development of special investigative techniques and the introduction of witness protection procedures.

Affidavits produced in police stations were submitted in the absence of witnesses.

In this context, an alternative wording to paragraph 14 could be

The use of video links in court cases in order to protect witnesses and victims was mentioned as a tool particularly applicable to vulnerable groups such as children.

Importantly, the Trafficking in Persons Protocol provides for protective measures for the victims of trafficking, operating in conjunction with the articles of the Convention on witness and victim protection.

New witnesses

Special measures to protect witnesses in accordance with the said laws include provision of a safe shelter, changing the registration information of the victims while testifying, providing compensation and occupational training during the witness protection period.

One speaker suggested that international cooperation to protect victims of trafficking could be enhanced by allowing their relocation, where necessary, to other countries that were able to ensure their safety through effective witness protection schemes.

Please specify if victims of trafficking can access witness protection services when testifying in cases against procurers or owners of commercial establishments.

Sensitive witnesses

A few vulnerable witnesses were relocated.

Function Chief victims and witnesses Unit Section.

We have identified witnesses in 17 countries.

This Law regulates the procedure and conditions for granting protection and assistance to witnesses, defines the measures for protection and envisages the establishment of Witness Protection Council, and a Witness Protection Department.

Please provide a copy of your country's relevant legislation and website addresses, if any, where such legislation may be found.

The United Nations Convention against Corruption (General Assembly resolution 58 4, annex) follows the trend of containing strong treaty provisions on victims (see article 32, entitled Protection of witnesses, experts and victims ).

(b) The number of functions related to witness protection and monitoring of witness relocation agreements with third countries that will have to be carried out after the Tribunals close their doors

3. Notes the importance of residual issues including witness protection and victim support, the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and judicial issues and capacity building for the Rwandan judiciary, and underlines the need for increased and sustained attention to these issues

Reaffirming the growing recognition of the special role of witnesses in criminal proceedings, especially in cases involving organized crime, and the need to encourage their collaboration and to provide them with effective protection from retaliation or intimidation,

The pressuring of and threats against witnesses are unacceptable.

Some national officials assisted the Section in escorting witnesses.