Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
Following the Khmer Rouge regime which was overthrown on 7 January 1979 and the civil war that ensued, the Cambodian government in 1997 requested assistance from the UN to establish a trial to prosecute the senior leaders of regime. This was required due to the weakness of the Cambodian legal system and the international nature of the crimes.
In 2001 the Cambodian National Assembly passed a law to create a court to try serious crimes committed between 1975-1979; the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuche.
The court is a Cambodian court created by its government and the UN but is independent, and has with international participation to ensure international standards are applied.
Official sources:
- Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
- General Assembly Resolution - Situation of Human Rights in Cambodia
A/RES/52/135 - 12 December 1997 (pdf, 5 p.) - Agreement between the UN and the Cambodian Government concerning the Prosecution under Cambodian Law of Crimes committed during the period of Democratic Kampuchea
Information sources:
- Global Policy Forum
- Cambodia Trial Monitor
- Refworld - Judgment (Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch) - 26 July 2010
Update: 19.08.2011
