The Khmer Rouge Tribunal : successes and failures of an innovative form of justice

Almost every aspect of modern Cambodian political history is disputed terrain. This makes the need for truth and justice in contemporary Cambodia even more pressing. There is one first historical debate over the degree of influence exerted by the central Phnom Penh command over regional and local branches of the Khmer Rouge under the regime. In a first chapter, this paper will examine the long-running process towards the establishment of the Court, seeking to address the grounds for this delay and show that the ECCC is creature of great compromise. An in-depth analysis of the inherent specificities of the Court will also be conducted, allowing for a better understanding of its shortcomings and failures. These will be addressed in a second chapter, which, by adopting a judicial approach, will focus on the poor judicial record of the Court and its notable judicial bias. Using a rather social approach, a third chapter will temper these negative aspects and attempt to outline the laudable (though insufficient) achievements the Court can claim