Metro Manila, Philippines – 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, where Kaufman identified Haynes as Duterte’s replacement counsel.
“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 said Haynes had already agreed to immediately assume Duterte’s defense and would be prepared to attend the next status conference on May 27.
Haynes is considered one of the leading practitioners in international criminal and humanitarian law, with more than 25 years of experience before tribunals in The Hague, including the ICC, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
The St. Philips Barristers website describes him as “one of the foremost practitioners in International Criminal and Humanitarian Law.”
At the ICC, he 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 work has involved cases related to genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and international terrorism.
From 2019 to 2021, Haynes served as president of the International Criminal Court Bar Association, becoming the first person re-elected to the post.
The transition comes as Duterte’s legal team undergoes major changes following the ICC’s confirmation of crimes against humanity charges tied to killings linked to his anti-drug campaign and the alleged Davao Death Squad operations between 2011 and 2019.
Kaufman formally sought permission to withdraw last week after Duterte’s longtime partner Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Veronica “Kitty” Duterte selected a new lawyer for the former president.
Under ICC rules, defense lawyers cannot automatically leave a case without court approval to ensure continuity of legal representation and avoid disruptions in proceedings.
The ICC Trial Chamber III has since granted Kaufman’s withdrawal request. Jacobs’ resignation as associate counsel was also approved separately by the court.
Duterte remains detained at the ICC detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands while awaiting trial over allegations of crimes against humanity involving murder and attempted murder.
