The Current Law of Crimes Against Humanity: An analysis of UNTAET Regulation 15/2000

Abstract

The following paper is based on a legal brief requested by the Office of the Prosecutor General, Serious Crimes Investigation Unit, of the United Nations Transitional Administration for East Timor (UNTAET), in April 2001. The Office of the Prosecutor General required that the brief analysis the applicable law of crimes against humanity under UNTAET Regulation 15/20001 with regard to the crimes committed in East Timor between 1 January and 25 October 1999. This period is covered by the temporal jurisdiction of the Serious Crimes Panel of the District Court of Dili (s. 2.3 of Reg. 15/2000). The exact scope of the brief was to cover the following crimes against humanity, which are deemed to be the most important ones with regard to the situation in East Timor: murder; deportation and forcible transfer of persons; imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty; torture; persecution; inhumane acts. The sexual crimes defined in section 5.1(g) of Regulation 15/2000 are not included as they were dealt with in a separate brief.