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Eighth Annual Report of the President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone

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Eighth Annual Report of the President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone Eighth Annual Report of the President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone June 2010 to May 2011 Eighth Annual Report of the President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone June 2010 to May 2011 contents Foreword 5 outreach and Public Affairs 43 significant Media events 43 Introduction 9 Video screening of trial summaries 43 Public Lectures 43 Judicial Proceedings 11 Legacy specific Activities 44 Trial chamber II 11 civil society Visits to the Hague 44 The Prosecutor v. Charles Ghankay Taylor 11 school Visits and other Programmes 44 The Prosecutor v. Brima, Kamara & Kanu 14 court Visits and tours 45 Appeals chamber 14 townhall Meetings 45 Interlocutory Appeals in the Hague sub-office 45 Prosecutor v. Charles Ghankay Taylor 14 office of the President 18 Legacy 47 other Activities of the chambers 18 Principal Legacy Initiatives of the Registry Activities of the President 19 sections 47 site Projects 48 office of the Prosecutor 22 Principal Legacy Initiatives of the office Residual Issues 51 of the Prosecutor 23 Update on the Residual Activities of the special court 51 office of the Registrar 25 Annexes 52 servicing of the Judicial Proceedings 29 Annex I 52 The Hague sub-office 29 significant fundraising and diplomatic Legal Unit 29 meetings held during the reporting period 52 Witness and Victims support 30 Personnel 30 Annex II 54 Interns and seconded Personnel 31 significant presentations of the special court’s Court Management 32 Jurisprudence 54 Office of the Principle Defender (Defence office) 32 Annex III 57 completion strategy organograms 57 and completion Budget 34 The completion strategy 34 The completion Budget 35 Fundraising and Diplomatic Relations 38 Major Diplomatic & Fundraising Meetings 38 New York Liaison office 40 United nations 40 Freetown 40 f o re w o R d 5 FoReWoRD Your Excellencies, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon the special court continues to use the and President dr Ernest Bai Koroma: special tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) courtroom and office space and also the It is my honour and pleasure to submit to you the International criminal court’s (ICC) Eighth Annual Report on the operations and activi- detention facilities in the ongoing trial of ties of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, covering charles taylor in the Hague. I take this the period 1st June 2010 to 31st May 2011. opportunity to express my sincere grati- tude to the respective Presidents and other the period under review has been filled with activities officials of the STL and the ICC, and to the in anticipation of the special court’s completion of its Government of the netherlands for their judicial mandate by mid 2012 and its transition to a continued cooperation and assistance in residual mechanism. the trial. Hon. Justice Jon Moadeh Kamanda, the completion strategy which sets out a timeline for In June 2010, the United nations secretary-General President, the judicial milestones necessary for the completion H.e. Mr. Ban Ki-moon visited the special court dur- Special Court of the special court’s mandate, was not met during ing a two day trip to sierra Leone. During discussions for Sierra Leone the reporting period, due to unforeseen legal and with the special court’s principals and other mem- procedural developments in its final trial involving bers of staff, the secretary-General was briefed on the the former Liberian President charles taylor. In the activities of the special court. He expressed apprecia- last completion strategy, it was envisaged that trial tion for the contribution of the special court to the Judgment in the charles taylor case would be deliv- establishment of peace and security in sierra Leone, ered in June 2011, and that a sentencing Judgment, if the sub-region and to the enrichment of international applicable, would be delivered in August 2011, with an humanitarian law. Appeal Judgment, if applicable, in February 2012. the 15th Plenary Meeting of the Judges was held in After the Defence closed its case on 12 november the Hague from 24 to 27 May 2011. this location was 2010, the trial chamber scheduled final arguments for chosen in order that minimal disruption would be 8 February 2011 and final trial briefs to be submitted caused to the on-going trial being held in the Hague. on 14 January 2011. the Defence however failed to file the Judges adopted Resolutions on enforcement of its final trial brief on the date scheduled by the trial sentences, possible amendments to the Agreement chamber – 14 January 2011. counsel for the Accused establishing the Residual special court and the argued that he had received written instructions from annexed statute; and contempt proceedings that may the Accused, not to file a final trial brief until decisions arise after trial chamber II completes its mandate. the were reached on all outstanding motions and appeals. Plenary also approved this Annual Report. the Defence eventually filed its final trial brief three weeks later and the trial chamber, by a majority, the special court’s legacy activities continue to be an refused to accept the untimely filed brief. the Appeals integral aspect of its operations. During the reporting chamber reversed the decision of the trial chamber period several legacy initiatives were implemented and and Defence closing arguments were heard on 9 and promoted by the special court, with the active support 10 March 2011. the Prosecution had already made of some sierra Leonean non-governmental bodies, its oral closing arguments on the 8 and 9 February international development agencies and other stake- 2011. oral responses by both parties were heard on 11 holders. In April 2011, the special court hosted the March 2011. A verdict is expected later in 2011. opening ceremony of the sierra Leone Peace Museum 6 SCSL · E I G H T H A n n u al rep o rt preview exhibition. the preview exhibition which In February 2011, the United nations peacekeepers of lasted three days was organised as part of celebrations the special court’s Mongolian Guard Force completed for sierra Leone’s 50th Independence Anniversary. Mr their mandate and formally handed over security Michael schulenberg, the executive Representative of responsibility for the special court to the sierra the secretary-General, represented the United nations Leone Police. United nations peacekeepers, working and the United nations Peacebuilding commis- in cooperation with special court’s security section sion which is funding the establishment of the Peace and the sierra Leone Police, had maintained security Museum. the Peace Museum project was proposed at the special court since its inception in 2002. In by the Government of sierra Leone as a future use of addition to securing the premises of the special court the special court site, to narrate the story of sierra in Freetown, they provided security during the move- Leone’s decade-long civil war and its return to peace; ment of detainees and prisoners within and outside and to honor the victims of the civil war. It will open of sierra Leone. the Mongolian peacekeepers, who officially in 2012. I thank Mr Michael schulenberg, served as part of the United nations Mission in Liberia Ambassador Mcnee of the United nations Peacebuild- (UnMIL), took over the special court’s security from ing commission and all other stakeholders for their nigerian peacekeepers in January 2006. the handover support towards this venture. marks a significant milestone as the special court is in the process of completing its judicial mandate and In December 2010, the special court transferred origi- transition to a Residual Mechanism. nals of its archives to the Hague where they are stored by the Government of the netherlands in the Dutch staffing levels at the special court continue to dimin- national Archives. the special court’s sub-office in ish both as a result of downsizing processes associated the Hague maintains custody over the records. copies with the completion of cases and the achievement of these archives remain in Freetown. of milestones in the charles taylor trial. In addition, f o re w o R d 7 several staff members with critical institutional knowl- the outreach and Public Affairs section continues to edge have accepted more secure jobs in other institu- bring the activities and accomplishments of the special tions. With the reduction in its staff level, the special court to towns, villages, schools, colleges and institu- court, in March 2011 consolidated its operations to tions in sierra Leone through the media and by the one portion of its site. Unused parts of the special organization of regular visits to the court’s premises court’s site would be transferred to the Government which includes its custom built courthouse. By virtue of sierra Leone prior to the completion of its judicial of such relentless efforts, people have come to realize mandate. that the special court remains committed to ensur- ing that persons who commit heinous crimes are tried Mr Robin Vincent, former Registrar of the special in accordance with its mandate; and that the rule of court died on 11 June 2011. He was appointed the spe- law in sierra Leone is preserved and maintained in all cial court’s first Registrar in 2002 by then secretary- circumstances. General of the United nations H.e. Mr. Kofi Annan and served in that capacity from July 2002 to septem- on behalf of the special court, I would like to express ber 2005. the special court also lost a number of its sincere gratitude to the donor countries for their staff during the reporting period. the Appeals cham- unwavering financial assistance which has enabled the ber for instance lost one of its legal officers Mr Joakim special court to operate so effectively up to this point.
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