10767 2 Case No. SCSL-03-01-A 26 September 2013 10768 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 10 A. THE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE ................................................................................... 10 B. THE INDICTMENT AGAINST CHARLES GHANKAY TAYLOR .......................................................... 10 C. THE TRIAL JUDGMENT ................................................................................................................ 12 1. The Trial................................................................................................................................. 12 2. The Judgment and Sentence................................................................................................... 13 D. THE APPEALS ............................................................................................................................. 13 II. STANDARD OF REVIEW ON APPEAL ................................................................................ 16 III. THE INDICTMENT ................................................................................................................. 19 A. THE TRIAL CHAMBER‘S FINDINGS ............................................................................................. 19 B. SUBMISSIONS OF THE PARTIES .................................................................................................... 20 C. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................ 21 D. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 23 IV. THE EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE .................................................................................... 24 A. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 24 1. Submissions of the Parties ..................................................................................................... 25 2. The Appeals Chamber‘s Review ........................................................................................... 27 B. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................................... 29 C. ALLEGED ERRORS OF LAW ......................................................................................................... 30 1. Corroboration ......................................................................................................................... 30 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 30 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 31 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 33 2. Uncorroborated Hearsay Evidence ........................................................................................ 34 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 34 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 34 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 39 3. Adjudicated Facts................................................................................................................... 39 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 41 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 42 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 46 D. ALLEGED ERRORS IN THE ASSESSMENT OF CREDIBILITY ........................................................... 46 1. Assessment of the Credibility of 22 Witnesses...................................................................... 46 (a) Submission of the Parties ....................................................................................................... 46 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 47 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 49 2. Accomplice Witnesses ........................................................................................................... 49 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 49 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 50 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 52 3. Witnesses who Received Benefits ......................................................................................... 52 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 52 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 54 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 55 4. General Conclusion on Credibility ........................................................................................ 56 E. ALLEGED ERRORS IN THE ASSESSMENT OF RELIABILITY ............................................................ 56 1. The Reliability of Hearsay Evidence ..................................................................................... 57 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 57 3 Case No. SCSL-03-01-A 26 September 2013 10769 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 57 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 59 2. Alleged Uncorroborated Hearsay Evidence ........................................................................... 59 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 59 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 59 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 65 3. Reliability of the Sources of Hearsay Evidence .................................................................... 65 (a) Submission of the Parties ....................................................................................................... 65 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 66 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 70 4. Inferences ............................................................................................................................... 70 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 70 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 71 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 72 5. General Conclusion on Reliability ......................................................................................... 72 F. FURTHER ALLEGED ERRORS IN EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE AND IN APPLICATION OF BURDEN AND STANDARD OF PROOF ....................................................................................................... 73 1. Evaluation of Evidence .......................................................................................................... 73 (a) Submissions of the Parties ...................................................................................................... 73 (b) Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 75 (c) Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 78 2. Burden of Proof.....................................................................................................................