Quelques Considerations Sur Le Droit a un Avocat Pour Les Indigents Accuses de Crimes Internationaux‪.‬

Les instruments juridiques internationaux garantissent a toute personne accusee d'un crime international le droit a un avocat de son choix. Dans la pratique cependant, l'exercice de ce droit est subordonne a la situation financiere de l'accuse. Celui-ci a le droit de choisir son avocat s'il a les moyens de le payer. S'il n'est pas nanti, il se voit commettre d'office un avocat figurant sur une liste compilee par le greffe du tribunal devant lequel il comparait sans la possibilite d'exercer veritablement un choix. Dans le but de permettre aux accuses indigents d'assurer et de controler convenablement leur defense, notre article suggere l'universalisation du droit de choisir leurs avocats independamment de leur situation financiere. Cette conclusion est fondee sur le souci d'egalite des accuses, la complexite des procedures penales internationales, la gravite des accusations ainsi que la severite des sanctions applicables. International legal instruments provide that all persons accusedof an international crime bave the right to counsel of their choice. In practice, however, the implementation of this rule is subordinated to their financial situation. The accused is entitled to choose where he or she can pay the related legal fees. In cases of indigence, a counsel is assigned to the accused om the list compiled by the registrar's office of the relevant tribunal. There is therefore no real choice for the accused. In order to ensure that financially deprived accused have a proper defense and reasonable control in the matter, this articles suggests that the right to counsel of choice, regardless of financial means, should be universalized. The grounds for this conclusion are the need to treat all accused equally, the complexity of international criminal procedures, and the severity of both the crimes and applicable penalties.