The Judges

Judge Cuno Jakob Tarfusser

The Italian judge was appointed along Kenya’s Justice Joyce Aluoch on March 11, 2009 for a term of nine years. Born in 1954, Judge Tarfusser has served the Public Prosecution Office of the Bolzano District Court, Italy, as Deputy Public Prosecutor for 16 years and as Chief Public Prosecutor for eight years.

Under his guidance the working practices of the Office were radically restructured, the organisational model of which is now considered as the standard for the entire justice administration system throughout Italy. His involvement as public prosecutor includes a number of investigations and trials encompassing crimes against individuals; crimes against the state, including terrorism; crimes against public administration such as extortion and corruption among others. He has lectured at a number of university law faculties in Italy.

Judge Hans-Peter Kaul

The German judge is the second vice-president of the International Criminal Court and has been serving at The Hague since March 11, 2003. His term as the second vice-president ends in 2011. Born in 1943, Judge Kaul is qualified for the German Bar. In 2002, he was appointed Ambassador and Commissioner of the Federal Foreign Office for the International Criminal Court.

From 1996 to 2003 he participated as head of the German delegation in the discussions and negotiation process of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Furthermore, in his capacity as Head of the Public International Law Division of the Federal Foreign Office (1996 – 2002), he was responsible, inter alia, for several cases involving Germany which were before the International Court of Justice.

Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova

The Bulgarian judge was appointed as an International Criminal Court judge on March 11, 2003 for a term of nine years. Born in 1953, Judge Trendafilova has extensive experience in criminal law, criminal procedural law and international criminal law.

She has been a Professor of Criminal Justice at Sofia University since completing her PhD in 1984. She chaired the working group that prepared the reform of the Bulgarian criminal procedure in line with the European and international standards for efficient administration of justice and protection of human rights (1998-1999).

She was a deputy district attorney at Sofia District Court (1985-1989) and represented Bulgaria at the UN Commission for Crime and Criminal Justice (1992-1994). She advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the establishment of the ICC.