International Criminal Court: Prosecutor v. Mr Thomas Lubanga Dyilo

Today three pre-trial judges heard evidence in the above-captioned case to determine whether "sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged" See Article 61 of the Rome Statute. I believe (please correct me if I'm wrong) that this is similar to a preliminary hearing in the U.S., in which a judge determines if there is probable cause that a crime was committed. Lubanga Dyilo is the first suspect to be delivered into the custody of the court.

Lubanga Dyilo is charged with conscripting children under the age of 15 into his militia (the military wing of the Union des Patriotes Congolais) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If the charges are "confirmed" this could very well be the first case to go to trial at the ICC. The judges have 60 days after the end of the hearing to render a decision.

Groundbreaking stuff. Too bad the United States STILL hasn't signed the damn treaty.

ICC press release.