The United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) up to end of 2010.

The move follows a request made by the ICTR President Denis Byron to the council last month. He asked that the trial judges be given more time to handle the backlog of cases for the time-barred Tanzania-based court.  

The Security Council meeting held in New York on Tuesday extended the term of office of five permanent judges as well as that of eleven ad litem judges until 31 December 2010. 

In its resolution, the council added that the terms of office of the judges shall extend until the completion of the cases to which each of them was assigned.   

The council also expressed its determination to support the efforts made by the tribunal towards the completion of its work at the "earliest date”. 

Last year, the UN had directed the Arusha based tribunal to complete all first instance trials by end of this year.

In his request, Judge Byron had argued that at least one trial would not be finished within the deadline and that the judgments in many cases could be rendered only next year.

The decision by UN’s top organ comes at a time when the tribunal is faced with criticisms for failing under Rule 11bis to transfer some of its piled up cases for trial to national jurisdictions. 

So far, Rwanda remains the sole known country that requested to take on the remaining cases after the tribunal shuts down but the tribunal has turned down several requests to transfer cases to Rwanda.

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