Italy's legal team will be led by David Bethlehem, former legal advisor to the British Foreign Office and a London barrister, while the Indian team includes Additional Solicitor General P. L. Narasimha, Alain Pellet, former president of the UN International Law Commission and British legal counsel and advocate Rodman Bundy. Mr Bundy has been counsel and advocate in many public international law litigations over 30 years.
Russian judge Vladimir Golitsyn will preside. India has one permanent member of the Court, Judge P. Chandrasekhara.
Francesco Francioni, professor of international law, has been chosen as the government's ad hoc judge and will be sworn in on Saturday in Hamburg. Italy began the international arbitration procedure in June, and has asked the tribunal to allow Mr Latorre to remain in Italy after he was repatriated because of poor health grounds and Mr Girone to return home, pending the outcome of arbitration. India has announced that it will challenge Italy's decision to take the matter to the tribunal because it says only New Delhi can try the case as the crime took place in Indian waters and because the arrest took place in an Indian port. It will also contend that there are no convincing reasons why the marines should be granted measures to let them stay in Italy. Italy will have to establish that the court has jurisdiction and that the case should be dealt with in Italy as the marines were aboard the Enrica Lexi, which was flying the Italian flag, and because they are members of the armed forces and immune from foreign jurisdiction. (AGI)