On 5 June 2025, the Trial Panel in the Thaçi et al. case issued a revised scheduling order regarding the next steps in the proceedings. In its last ruling on the admission of SPO evidence, filed confidentially on 29 May this year, the Panel ordered the Defence to submit its Rule 130 joint motion by 12 June, while the SPO was ordered to submit its response by 14 July. However, in today's decision, the Panel found it appropriate, proprio motu (i.e. on its own initiative), to reduce the time limit for the SPO’s response to 7 July. The Panel indicated that it currently intends to issue its Rule 130 decision in the week starting on 14 July. Should the Panel deny the Defence’s Rule 130 motion in whole or in part, the Victims’ Counsel is ordered to be prepared to start calling its witnesses on 16 July, while each Defence team should notify whether they intend to present their evidence by 16 July. Furthermore, the Panel currently intends to hold the Defence Preparation Conference in the week starting on 21 July.
More details are available in the panel’s decision while our previous post with the panel’s last scheduling order in April is available here.