The Financing of the Special Tribunals for Sierra Leone, Cambodia and Lebanon

Abstract

The establishment of the hybrid tribunals in Sierra Leone, Cambodia and Lebanon reflected the dissatisfaction of the international community with the criminal tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. It also represented the attempt to find new models of criminal accountability which could shorten the duration of judicial proceedings, and ensure greater impact on the local societies and greater financial efficiency. This article will provide an overview of how states’ opposition to the ICTs model shaped the decision making process on the final financial and administrative arrangements of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. It will also highlight the particular financial and administrative features of each of these institutions. Finally, the article will review the financial support received by the hybrid tribunals so far and the specific measures adopted to address recurring funding shortages.