French lawyer Dov Jacobs was confirmed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the latest addition to the defense team of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at The Hague on alleged crimes against humanity charges.

In a document posted on the ICC website on Monday, the Pre-Trial Chamber I acknowledges the appointment of Jacobs as the associate counsel for the former president.

“The Registry hereby informs Pre-Trial Chamber I that on 2 April 2025, Mr. Nicholas Kaufman, counsel of record for Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, requested Mr. Dov Jacobs to assist the defense team as Associate Counsel in the proceedings before the International Criminal Court,” the ICC stated.

In an interview with the press on Tuesday, former president Duterte's lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman said that Jacobs will be assisting him in an important way.

“He’s also a proponent of one of the issues central to this case, and if you've been following the academic debate which is surrounding jurisdiction issues, you'll realize why he’s now in our team,” Kaufman said.

Jacobs has previously handled high-profile cases in the ICC.

The French lawyer also contributed to ICC deliberations on Afghanistan and Palestine as amicus curiae. Yzabela Velez-White/DMS