The Special Panels for Serious Crimes of Timor-Leste: Lessons for the Region

Abstract

The establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) hasfilled an important gap in the enforcement of international criminallaw. However, domestic, hybrid and regional tribunals will continue toplay an important role in providing global justice in the future.Anticipating the limited reach of the ICC, Chief Prosecutor LuisMoreno-Ocampo has stated that the ICC would only be able to investigate six to eight cases during his six-year term, in addition to the current investigations in Darfur, the Democratic Republic ofCongo and Northern Uganda. He believes that the major part of thework of international justice will not be done in The Hague, but at the national level in individual states. Aryeh Neier, President of the Open Society Justice Institute, has proposed that more hybrid and ad hoc tribunals be created and highlighted the Asia-Pacific region as one of two areas in great need of a regional human rights mechanism. In fact, discussions surrounding a human rights mechanism for Southeast Asia have been going on for over a decade within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Most recently, the Jakarta-based ASEAN think-tank has proposed that a regional court of justice and an ASEAN peace and reconciliation council be set up.