| The
Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to
"try those who bear greatest responsibility" for serious
violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the
Sierra Leone Civil War which began in 1991 and was declared officially over
on 18 January 2002. The Special Court was born at the request of the
President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who on 12 June 2000 wrote a letter to United
Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan asking the international community to
try those responsible for crimes during the conflict. The answer was prompt
and on 14 August 2000 the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution
1315 requesting the Secretary-General to start negotiations with the Sierra
Leonean government to create a Special Court. On 16 January 2002 the UN and
Government of Sierra Leone signed an agreement establishing the Court. The
Court is located in Freetown. The trials are placed into 3 groups:
Revolutionary United Front, Civil Defence Forces and Armed Forces
Revolutionary Council, only one trial, the one of Charles Taylor, was moved
to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Our series’ goal is to
present the reasons that led to the establishment of The Special Court, and
to offer an overview of the cases brought before The Court. |
