Now Lebanon - STL president convenes trial chamber - September 08, 2011

The president of the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Judge Antonio Cassese, on Thursday issued an order convening the Trial Chamber for the first time.
“According to the tribunal’s rules, the Trial Chamber may meet before [the] trial starts to engage in various matters, such as holding an initial appearance with the accused if one is in custody, deciding whether a trial in absentia is appropriate and ruling on preliminary motions,” the STL website said.
“The judges of the Trial Chamber are Judge Robert Roth of Switzerland, the Presiding Judge of the Chamber; Judge Micheline Braidi of Lebanon; Judge David Re of Australia; Judge Janet Nosworthy of Jamaica, an alternate judge; and Judge Walid Akoum of Lebanon, an alternate judge,” it added.
The website also said that “according to the tribunal's Statute and Rules, alternate judges are present at each stage of the proceedings and may pose questions during hearings, but do not vote during deliberations.”
“Alternate judges can replace judges of the Trial Chamber should the voting judges be unable to continue sitting.”
The STL indicted last month four Hezbollah members for the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group ruled out the arrest of the four suspects.