Lawyers Steven Kay and Gillian Higgins have asked the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for permission to appeal their appointment as Slobodan Milosevic's defense counsel. In a letter to the court, the two lawyers said that Milosevic refuses to meet or talk with them and questioned whether depriving Milosevic of the right to defend himself could affect the overall fairness of the trial. However, Presiding Judge Patrick Robinson said Thursday that "if the opportunity for the accused to participate in the presentation of his defense is not grasped by him, the trial will nonetheless proceed and none can say there was injustice." BBC News has more. The ICTY provides background information on the Milosevic case.