The Special Tribunal For Lebanon (law And Practice)

Edited by Alamuddin Amal; Edited by Jurdi Nidal Nabil; Edited by Tolbert David
Short description/annotation
The Special Tribunal of the Lebanon is the first international Tribunal established to try the perpetrators of a terrorist act: the murder of the Lebanese Prime Minister in 2005. This book, written by practitioners with experience of the court and experts in international criminal law, provides a detailed assessment of its unique law and practice.
Description
This book provides a full analytical overview of the establishment and functioning of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the newest and most controversial of the UN-sponsored international criminal courts. In 2005, Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated in a huge blast that reverberated across Lebanon and the region. The Tribunal was established with a mandate to try the perpetrators of the Hariri killing, as well as those responsible for other killings that are ''connected'' to this core crime. Individuals associated with the Hezbollah group have been indicted to be tried in the court in The Hague-but in their absence as their locations are unknown. The Tribunal is the UN''s first attempt at addressing terrorism in an international criminal court, and the first attempt to set up international trials following crimes committed in the Middle East region. The court''s narrow mandate and unique procedures have led many to question what kind of precedent it will set in a volatile region. This book looks at how the court was established, its foundational principles based on the Statute of the International Criminal Court and Lebanese domestic law, and the possible further development of its case law. It provides an authoritative guide to the procedure of the Tribunal,the status of the Registry, the rights of suspects and accused, trials in absentia, and the regulation of the conduct of counsel, drawing on comparisons to other international courts. The authors include those involved in setting up the court, prosecutors, defence counsel for the suspects, as well as judges and academic commentators who are experts on the issues covered in the book. They provide a probing insight into how the Tribunal came into being, its challenges, controversies, and its achievements to date.
Table of contents
1. Introduction: A Very Special Tribunal ; 2. The Creation of the Tribunal in its Context ; 3. The Legal Nature of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ; 4. The UN Investigation of the Hariri Assassination ; 5. The Crime of Terrorism in Lebanese and International Law ; 6. Individual Criminal Responsibility ; 7. The Unique Rules of Procedure of the STL ; 8. Responding to Cooperation Problems at the STL ; 9. Victim Participation at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ; 10. Rights of Suspects and Accused ; 11. The STL Registry ; 12. Trial in Absentia Before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ; 13. Ethics Before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ; 14. The Legacy of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Review quote
This is the first in-depth exploration of the [Special Tribunal for Lebanon].
Review quote
The book under review is a remarkable contribution to the literature on the so-called "hybrid", or rather "internationalized", tribunals, that is criminal justice organs.the book brilliantly depicts the sui generis -sometimes overtly labelled "odd"- character of the STL.
Biographical note
Amal Alamuddin is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, London, specialising in international law, human rights, criminal law and extradition. She appears in both English and international courts and provides written advice to individuals and governments. Amal has recently acted as adviser to Kofi Annan, the Joint Special Envoy of the UN and Arab League on Syria; as counsel to the government of Cambodia in a territorial dispute at the International Court of Justice; and as legal advisor to the Royal Co