Wrong-Sizing International Justice? The Hybrid Tribunal in Sierra Leone

42 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2005

Abstract

As institutions of international justice proliferate, so do disputes about their legitimacy, and about what shape they ought to take. As truly international tools such as the International Criminal Court and the exercise of universal jurisdiction face political and practical challenges, some scholars and practitioners have advocated a distinct institutional solution: the hybrid court. These are courts that are neither purely national nor international, but rather that pursue accountability in the country where abuses and crimes occurred, but with both national and international staff, and utilizing a mixture of national and international law. Many have suggested that these tribunals represent the "right-sizing" of justice. This essay argues the reverse, using the experience of the Special Court for Sierra Leone to suggest that rather than being a perfect combination of the local and global, hybrid institutions may exhibit some of the more problematic elements of each.

Keywords: international justice, peace operations, hybrid tribunals, Sierra Leone

Suggested Citation

Sriram, Chandra Lekha, Wrong-Sizing International Justice? The Hybrid Tribunal in Sierra Leone. Fordham International Law Journal, Vol. 29, No. 3, May 2006, U of Maryland Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2005-49, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=816145

Chandra Lekha Sriram (Contact Author)

University of London - School of Law ( email )

Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
London, WC1H 0XG
United Kingdom

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