Association of Defence Counsel

Marie O’Leary is 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.

Jason is an experienced international rule of law / justice consultant and leading case management expert. International criminal experience (ICTY, STL, and ICC), recognized as an expert in case management systems for defence teams, and the analysis of telecommunications and digital evidence. Currently he is leading the Prosecutions component of an FCDO CTPF project in Iraq and Kurdistan, meant to improve fair trials at the national level for terrorism suspects. Previously he consulted on similar CSSF projects in Somaliland, Kosovo, and Saudi Arabia. He has also provided courtroom training to telecommunication analysts in the United Kingdom. Jason is a qualified lawyer in the United States (Georgia); a certified expert for Justice Rapid Response in case management; member of Executive Committee and Training Committee at the ICCBA; member of the Training Committee and Amicus Committee for the ADC-ICT.

Sarah Bafadhel is member of the Bar of England and Wales with fifteen years’ experience specialising in international criminal law, public international law and human rights law.  Sarah has defended clients in international and national institutions including the International Criminal Court, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia as well as the European Court of Justice. She is regularly instructed to provide legal consultation and advice to governments and NGOs across Europe, Africa and the Middle East in relation to the implementation, enforcement and consequences of international obligations arising from treaties, judicial decisions and regulatory measures. Sarah has an LLM specialising in public international law from King’s College London and is fluent in Arabic. 

Annie O'Reilly is co-counsel for Mr Kadri Veseli, who is due to stand trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in 2023. Prior to this, she spent more than a decade working in ICL: first at the ICTY, where she was a defence team members, and later at the ICC where she occupied various positions in the Office of the Prosecutor. Ms O'Reilly is a member of the New York Bar.

Marie-Hélène Proulx is a lawyer admitted to the Québec Bar since 2003, and a former President of the ICCBA. She is an Associate Tenant at 33 Bedford Row Chambers in London where she specialises in strategic human rights litigation. She represented several accused persons before international tribunals, including Patrice-Édouard Ngaïssona, Dominic Ongwen, Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz at the ICC, and Hassan Habib Merhi before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. She was also appointed Ad Hoc Counsel at the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence and acted as Rule 74 Legal Adviser at the ICC. She acted as Counsel for Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda, and is currently a pro bono Counsel for Mr. Siméon Nchamihigo and Jean-Baptiste Gatété before the IRMCT. She also worked as a Legal Officer at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and at the ICC, Teaching Assistant at the University of Geneva and Legal Adviser at the ICRC Advisory Service on International Humanitarian Law at the Geneva Headquarters. She obtained a law degree from the Université de Montréal (Canada) as well as a LL.M from the University Centre for International Humanitarian Law (now Geneva Academy).