Association of Defence Counsel

Dragan Dan Ivetić is currently Lead Counsel for Ratko Mladić before the Mechanism, a member of the ADC-ICT Training Committee, and vice-president/director of the International Innocence Project, a not-for-profit that works to prevent wrongful convictions, free the innocent and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone.  He maintains his own law practice in Chicago and has previously defended several persons before the ICTY and IRMCT, in addition to being a Past President of the ADC-ICT. 

Kate Gibson has been representing accused before the international criminal courts and tribunals since 2005, including as Co-Counsel of Jean-Pierre Bemba and Bosco Ntaganda before the ICC, Co-Counsel of Charles Taylor before the SCSL, and Co-Counsel of Radovan Karadžić before the IRMCT.  At the ICTR, she was Lead Counsel of Justin Mugenzi and Co-Counsel of Jean-Baptiste Gatete. Currently, Kate is the Lead Counsel of Paul Rusesabagina, detained in Rwanda, and is part of the legal team of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi before the KSC. She also represents a group of Rohingya victims in the Myanmar/Bangladesh pre-trial proceedings before the ICC, and is Lead Counsel of Prosper Mugiraneza, detained Niger, before the IRMCT. Kate is an Associate Tenant of Doughty Street Chambers, holds an LL.M in International Law from Cambridge University.

Marie O’Leary is a former President of the ADC-ICT and current Counsel for the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence (OPCD) at the ICC. She was previously part of the Defence teams of Naser Orić, Vlastimir Đorđević, Milan Lukić (Lukić & Lukić) and Dragomir Pećanac at the ICTY. She has also worked for the Amicus Prosecutor for contempt proceedings on appeal in the case against Vojislav Šešelj and as an Associate Legal Officer with ICTY Trial Chamber II. In 2010, O’Leary served as a Legal Consultant for the Defence Office at the STL. She was the Head of Office of the ADC-ICTY between 2006 and 2007.  Ms O’Leary is also a lecturer in the Seminaron International Criminal Defence at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and has lectured for the Summer School on International Criminal Law of the Grotius Centre of Leiden University. Ms O’Leary holds a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) degree from the University of St. Thomas. She has worked as an editor and as a marketing director prior to attending the University of St. Thomas School of Law. She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2006, is licensed to practice in Minnesota and possesses experience with both the Minneapolis City Attorney and Minnesota Public Defenders’ offices.

Geoff Roberts is currently Co-Counsel representing Rexhep Selimi before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. He has previously represented Anselme Nzabonimpa before the IRMCT and Assad Sabra before the STL as well as working for the Defence teams of Naser Oric and Rasim Delic at the ICTY, Thomas Lubanga at the ICC and Ieng Sary at the ECCC.

Colleen Rohan is an expert in criminal defence litigation in both domestic and international courts. She has represented members of the military and private clients in complex cases involving charges of genocide, murder, terrorism, war crimes and crimes against humanity.  In her domestic practice she specialised in death penalty cases, gang-related cases, international extradition and post-conviction remedies. She is currently serving as a member of the judicial panel for the International People’s Tribunal on Iran Atrocities of November 2019 (the “Aban Tribunal”) investigating charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Iranian security forces against civilians in that country.