Knowra Special Court for Sierra Leone Special Court for Sierra Leone The Special Court for Sierra Leone was a hybrid tribunal established by Sierra Leone and the United Nations to prosecute those bearing greatest responsibility for serious crimes committed during the country’s civil war.
Hybrid tribunal : A court combining domestic and international elements in its legal basis, personnel, or procedure. The Special Court combined Sierra Leonean and international participation under an agreement with the United Nations.
Prosecutor v. Charles Taylor : The Special Court case that convicted former Liberian president Charles Taylor of aiding and abetting crimes in Sierra Leone. The trial brought a former head of state before the court and ended with a 2012 conviction.
Sierra Leone Civil War : An armed conflict in Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002 involving government forces, rebel groups, and regional actors. The court was created to address serious crimes committed during this conflict.
Recruitment of child soldiers : The enlistment or use of children in armed forces or armed groups, prohibited as a war crime under international law. The court’s judgments established landmark convictions for recruiting and using children in hostilities.
Statute of the Special Court for Sierra Leone : The instrument establishing the court, defining its jurisdiction, structure, and applicable law. Its statute set the court’s mandate and selected crimes within its jurisdiction.
Prosecutor v. Armed Forces Revolutionary Council : A Special Court case concerning crimes committed by leaders of Sierra Leone’s Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. Its appeals judgment became the first international conviction for recruiting and using child soldiers.
United Nations Security Council : The United Nations body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, with authority to adopt binding measures. The Council requested negotiations that produced the court’s founding agreement.
Forced marriage : A marriage imposed on a person without free and full consent. The court recognized forced marriage as an inhumane act constituting a crime against humanity.
Complementarity : A principle under which an international criminal court defers to genuine national proceedings in specified circumstances. The Special Court’s statute gave it primacy over Sierra Leonean courts, unlike the ICC’s complementarity system.
Prosecutor v. Revolutionary United Front : A Special Court case prosecuting senior members of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front for crimes during the civil war. The case established the responsibility of rebel leaders for widespread violence against civilians.
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