Consultations with the Court

Australia

Australia - International Criminal Court Act No. 41 2002 (2018) EN

Part 2—General provisions relating to requests by the ICC for cooperation

11 Consultations with ICC
(1) The Attorney-General must consult with the ICC, without delay, if, for any reason, there are or may be problems with the execution of a request for cooperation.
(2) Before refusing a request for assistance of a kind mentioned in paragraph 1(l) of article 93 of the Statute, the Attorney-General must consult with the ICC to ascertain whether the assistance requested could be provided:
(a) subject to conditions; or
(b) at a later date or in an alternative manner.
(3) Without limiting the types of conditions under which assistance may be provided, the Attorney-General may agree to information or documents being sent to the Prosecutor on a confidential basis, on the condition that the Prosecutor will use them solely for the purpose of generating new evidence.
(4) If the Attorney-General sends information or documents subject to the condition specified in subsection (3), the Attorney-General may subsequently consent to the disclosure of the documents or information for use as evidence under the provisions of Parts 5 and 6 of the Statute and in accordance with the Rules.

Part 3—Requests by the ICC for arrest and surrender of persons

Division 4—Surrender of persons

34 Ongoing Australian investigation or prosecution involving different conduct
(2) The Attorney-General may, after consultation with the ICC:
(a) proceed with the execution of the request despite the Australian investigation or prosecution; or
(b) postpone the execution of the request until the Australian investigation or prosecution has been finally disposed of.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 3—Restrictions on provision of assistance

56 Competing requests
(1) If a request for cooperation is made and a foreign country makes a request for assistance to which Australia is under an international obligation to respond, the Attorney-General must, after consultation with the ICC and that country, try to comply with both requests.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 3—Restrictions on provision of assistance

62 Requests involving competing international obligations
If a request for cooperation relates to a person who, or information or property that, is subject to the control of a foreign country or an international organisation under an international agreement, the Attorney-General must inform the ICC so as to enable it to direct its request to the foreign country or international organisation

Part 8—Protection of Australia’s national security interests

148 Consultation with ICC required
The Attorney-General must consult with the ICC and, if appropriate, the defence, in accordance with paragraph 5 of article 72 of the Statute.

Part 8—Protection of Australia’s national security interests

149 Procedure where no resolution
(2) If:
(a) the ICC determines that the disclosure is relevant and necessary for the establishment of the guilt or innocence of the accused; and
(b) the issue of disclosure arises in the circumstances specified in section 145 or 146; and
(c) the Attorney-General is of the opinion that Australia’s national security interests would be prejudiced by the disclosure; and
(d) the ICC requests further consultations for the purpose of considering the representations, which may include hearings in camera and ex parte;
the Attorney-General must consult with the ICC.

Rome Statute

Article 89 Surrender of persons to the Court

2. Where the person sought for surrender brings a challenge before a national court on the basis of the principle of ne bis in idem as provided in article 20, the requested State shall immediately consult with the Court to determine if there has been a relevant ruling on admissibility. If the case is admissible, the requested State shall proceed with the execution of the request. If an admissibility ruling is pending, the requested State may postpone the execution of the request for surrender of the person until the Court makes a determination on admissibility.

4. If the person sought is being proceeded against or is serving a sentence in the requested State for a crime different from that for which surrender to the Court is sought, the requested State, after making its decision to grant the request, shall consult with the Court.

Article 91 Contents of request for arrest and surrender

4. Upon the request of the Court, a State Party shall consult with the Court, either generally or with respect to a specific matter, regarding any requirements under its national law that may apply under paragraph 2 (c). During the consultations, the State Party shall advise the Court of the specific requirements of its national law.

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

3. Where execution of a particular measure of assistance detailed in a request presented under paragraph 1, is prohibited in the requested State on the basis of an existing fundamental legal principle of general application, the requested State shall promptly consult with the Court to try to resolve the matter. In the consultations, consideration should be given to whether the assistance can be rendered in another manner or subject to conditions. If after consultations the matter cannot be resolved, the Court shall modify the request as necessary.

9.

(a)

(i) In the event that a State Party receives competing requests, other than for surrender or extradition, from the Court and from another State pursuant to an international obligation, the State Party shall endeavour, in consultation with the Court and the other State, to meet both requests, if necessary by postponing or attaching conditions to one or the other request.

Article 96 Contents of request for other forms of assistance under article 93

3. Upon the request of the Court, a State Party shall consult with the Court, either generally or with respect to a specific matter, regarding any requirements under its national law that may apply under paragraph 2 (e). During the consultations, the State Party shall advise the Court of the specific requirements of its national law.

Article 97 Consultations

Where a State Party receives a request under this Part in relation to which it identifies problems which may impede or prevent the execution of the request, that State shall consult with the Court without delay in order to resolve the matter. Such problems may include, inter alia:

(a) Insufficient information to execute the request;

(b) In the case of a request for surrender, the fact that despite best efforts, the person sought cannot be located or that the investigation conducted has determined that the person in the requested State is clearly not the person named in the warrant; or

(c) The fact that execution of the request in its current form would require the requested State to breach a pre-existing treaty obligation undertaken with respect to another State.