ISS Seminar, Pretoria: Legacy of the Special Court for Sierra Leone

Date: 2011-05-19

Venue: , ISS Conference Room, Block C, Brooklyn Court, 361 Veale Street, New Muckleneuk

RSVP:
Monique de Graaff
[email protected]
Tel: 012 346 9500
Fax: 012 460 0997

International criminal justice in Africa is more often than not understood in terms of the work of the International Criminal Court. However, several other initiatives on the continent, notably the Special Court for Sierra Leone, are making an important contribution. As the world’s first court to combine domestic and international expertise, the Special Court was established in 2002 by an agreement between the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations. Although seen as an improvement on existing ad hoc tribunals due to its narrow focus on ‘those bearing the greatest responsibility’, there are varying views on how the court has fared after four trials in eight years.

Pending the outcome of the Charles Taylor trial, the court’s final case, this seminar will reflect on the Special Court’s performance, its legacy and its potential as a model for future international criminal justice initiatives in Africa.

Speakers:

Brenda J Hollis, Prosecutor, Special Court for Sierra Leone

Lansana Gberie, Senior Researcher, African Conflict Prevention Programme, Institute for Security Studies, Addis Ababa Office
 
Chairperson:

Antoinette Louw, Senior Research Fellow, International Crime in Africa Programme, Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria Office

ISS Rules:

Participants are free to use the information presented, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participants, may be revealed without his/her express permission.