The war crimes trial for former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, has been delayed until January, 2008. Debates over counsel, logistical concerns, and financial hurdles have postponed the trial. The Sierra Leone tribunal was to take a lessons-learned approach, taking note from the war crimes tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Mr. Taylor faces 11 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes for allegedly cooperating with militants to gain access to the diamond trade, recruiting child soldiers, and other atrocities.
After Taylor initially boycotting the tribunal for inadequate counsel, his new defense team has requested an extension to review over 40,000 pages of evidence and 50,000 pages of his personal records. Courteny Griffiths, Taylor's new counsel, stated while the court has had since 2002 to review allegations and various records, Taylor's defense team has had a scant few weeks.
The tribunal also operates in two locations; Freetown, Sierra Leone and the new International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands. Taylor's trial is taking place at The Hague at the urging of the international community, which fears his trial in Sierra Leone would spark civil unrest. The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCL) operates in the capital city of Freetown and is prosecuting 10 cases in tandem with the Taylor proceedings. In certain circumstances, legal teams shuttle back and forth between both systems.
The system is also facing increasing financial burdens. The original mandate, expected to extend for three years, was budgeted for $54-million. That amount has tripled, and the trial is expected to last at least eight years. Taylors personal allowance was originally slated for $30,000 a month for rent, fees, and other services, but has ballooned to about $70,000 a month.
False starts, shuttle reconciliation, and financial hurdles have had a detrimental impact on the war crimes trial for Sierra Leone. What was supposed to be a model system, using international and national judges, and a “cheaper, faster and leaner” system has limped along. While Taylor is the first president from an African nation to face prosecution for war crimes in the troubled region, it is not developing as the benchmark of international justice its advocates had hoped for.
