The special court for Sierra Leone: some preliminary comments

Abstract

The government of Sierra Leone and the UN have concluded a bilateral agreement establishing an ad hoc special criminal court for prosecuting those most responsible for the commission of serious crimes during the civil war in Sierra Leone. The new court differs in many respects from the two existing tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. This article highlights these challenges with respect to the juridical status, funding and criminal jurisdiction, with special reference to sexual offences, genocide and the regime for dealing with child soldiers. The relationship between the Special Court and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will then be assessed, to be followed by an evaluation of: the amnesty offered under the Lomé agreement, the question of immunity of heads of state, criminal responsibility under the laws of Sierra Leone, temporal jurisdiction of the special court, and its jurisdiction over peacekeeping forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Human Rights is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)