Lenah
Follow us
Justice Hub
  • My Justice
  • News
  • Insights
  • Justice Explained
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Justice Hub
  • My Justice
  • News
  • Insights
  • Justice Explained
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Justice Hub
No Result
View All Result

Ex-SCSL prosecutor: There was a perception of imbalance

December 18, 2014
in News
0
0
Home News
FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsappEmail

By Sophie van Leeuwen

More money for the prosecutor, less money for the defence. How disproportional is the 2015 ICC budget? The former chief prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), David Crane, responds to lawyer Nick Kaufman who called the budget “totally unacceptable“. 

Sophie van Leeuwen

Q: How much did you pay for the defence in the SCSL?  

A: “The SCSL began its work in 2002. We indicted and arrested most of the defendants by March 2003. Each was afforded an attorney as appropriate under our rules of procedure and evidence. These counsels were paid for by the Registrar of the SCSL. 

“About a year and a half later, in mid-2003, SCSL registrar Robert Vincent created an office of Principle Defender, designed to administratively support the various defence teams and ensuring they had adequate support to defend their clients. I publicly supported this effort.  It was a “first-ever” initiative.

“At other tribunals – the Yugoslav tribunal or the Rwandan tribunal – defence teams were largely on their own. No investigation support, no office support. We thought a proper defence office was needed at the SCSL.”  

Q: What problems did you have?

A: “Most of the accused at the SCSL declared they were not capable of paying for a defence lawyer. There was a perception of imbalance. So we needed to change this perception, as these are courts of law and they must be fair.

“The SCSL was the first international court that had an office to administratively support defence teams. All defendants indicted by me in the Special Court of Sierra Leone were supported by the Office of the Principle Defender. This step was largely a success thanks to Registrar Vincent.”

Q: Is there an imbalance at the ICC?

A: “Though I cannot speak to the reasons for the decrease in funds, the Court needs to be aware that there is perhaps a perception of inequality. They should be able and willing to explain to the public what is going on.”

Q: Your answer to defence lawyer Nick Kaufman?

A: “Defence councils have real challenges and need proper support. During my time at the SCSL, the defense counsel and I raised the inequality of arms issue. The creation of the Office of the Principle Defence largely resolved this issue. 

But it simply is not completely equal. The office of the prosecutor has a larger office in order to create investigations. You can’t quite say the prosecutor and the defence should be given the same amount of money.  

The SCSL Principle Defender did not get the same monies as the OTP for practical reasons. But they got a proportionate budget based on their organization and capabilities.”

Tags: ICC (International Criminal Court)Justice NewsSierra Leone
ShareTweetShareSendSend

Justice Hub

Justice Hub is an online platform connecting conversations about international justice.

Related Posts

ICL Media Review: Russian veterans seek ICC investigation into use of mercenaries in Syria
ICL Media Review

ICL Media Review: Russian veterans seek ICC investigation into use of mercenaries in Syria

by ICL Media Review
November 18, 2019
0
26

In this week's review, news about the ECCC conviction of Chea and Samphan for genocide, the adjournment of Kwoyelo’s trial...

Read more
NPWJ: Trump’s Transgender Military Ban Gets a Boost

NPWJ: Trump’s Transgender Military Ban Gets a Boost

January 24, 2019
42
ICL Media Review: Charles Taylor’s ex-wife pleads not guilty in UK trial on torture in Liberia

ICL Media Review: Charles Taylor’s ex-wife pleads not guilty in UK trial on torture in Liberia

January 24, 2019
36
ICL Media Review: Uganda ordered to compensate former LRA fighter Thomas Kwoyelo

ICL Media Review: Uganda ordered to compensate former LRA fighter Thomas Kwoyelo

January 24, 2019
29
NPWJ: European Parliament to hold hearing on the current human rights and humanitarian situation in Yemen

NPWJ: European Parliament to hold hearing on the current human rights and humanitarian situation in Yemen

January 22, 2019
45

Justice Hub

Justice Hub is an online platform connecting conversations about international justice.

Justice Hub

Justice Hub is an online platform aimed at a worldwide audience of 18-35 year olds, especially in countries where people are looking for sustainable and innovative solutions to problems of justice, peace and security. Justice can feel too abstract, too often owned by experts. We make the conversations lively and accessible.

Follow Us

Quick Links

  • Featured
  • My Justice
  • News
  • Insights
  • Justice Explained
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

 

  HPPJ Forum Login
Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
No Result
View All Result
  • My Justice
  • News
  • Insights
  • Justice Explained
  • About Us

© 2018 Justice Hub

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Login

Lost password?
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.

REPUBLISHING TERMS

You may republish this article online or in print under our Creative Commons license. You may not edit or shorten the text, you must attribute the article to Aeon and you must include the author’s name in your republication.

If you have any questions, please email nsharafa@gmail.com

License

Creative Commons License AttributionCreative Commons Attribution
Ex-SCSL prosecutor: There was a perception of imbalance