By y Hirondelle News Agency

Originating from Saint Kitts and Nevis, a small Carribean state, Judge Dennis Byron, who is reputed for his independence, was elected on Monday evening President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

Byron will take up his functions officially on May 29, succeeding the Norwegian Eric Mose who was President since May 2003.

Byron who is a subject of the English crown, will be the last President of the ICTR, which the Security Council has demanded to close its cases of first instance next year and the cases on appeal two years later.

Executing his work extremely rigorously and meticulously, the strongly built Judge Byron carries his 64 years cheerfully. Being very jovial, he has also gained a certain popularity within the ranks of the ICTR. According to a lawyer who visited the prison last Tuesday even the prisoners themselves greeted his arrival.

Before becoming the head of the Tribunal, Judge Byron, who acted as President of a Trial Chamber, was responsible for at least two judicial decisions which surprised observers and sometimes even irritated or offended certain people in charge within the Tribunal.

In May 2006, a Chamber which he presided became renowned for the rejection of the first demand for the transfer of an accused of the ICTR to a national jurisdiction.

In this case, the Office of the Prosecutor asked for the authorization of the judges to have the former director of the tea production network in Rwanda, Michel Bagaragaza, as key witness against other accused facing Norwegian justice.  

The demand was rejected entirely, because the Scandinavian Kingdom does not curb explicitly the crime of genocide, one of the crimes brought against the former economic official.

The decision surprised everyone at the Court, even more so because it was a joint request of the Prosecutor and the accused.

Although the latter appealed to this decision, the appeal was rejected.

Last September, another panel of judges presided by Byron made an unpublished decision in the judgement of the Ex-Minister for primary and secondary Education, Andre Rwamakuba.

In its aquittal verdict, the Chamber pronounced a sort of condemnation against the Registrar for leaving the Ex-Minister without a lawyer during his first months in custody.

The judgement underlines that Rwamakuba is free to plead before the same Chamber for reparation for this violation of his rights. After the request, the Chamber ordered the administration of the Tribunal last January, to pay 2.000 Dollars to the Rwamakuba. Dreading the consequences of such a precedent, the Registrar has asked the Appeals Chamber which has not yet rendered a decision.

Before joining the ICTR in July 2004, Judge Byron was President of the of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. In 2002 he received the award of Knight Bachelor by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.