Understanding the International Criminal Court

51. What is the role of the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence (OPCD)?

The  OPCD  promotes,  represents  and  researches  the  rights  of  the  defence,  raises  the  profile  of

substantive defence issues, and endeavours to achieve equality of arms for the defence at all stages of

an investigation and trial.

The Office is independent in terms of its substantive functions, but falls within the remit of the Registry

solely for administrative purposes.

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Understanding the International Criminal Court