Last updated 4 November 2009
Selected Events from: 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
26 October 2009: Appeals Chamber delivers judgment in the case against three former RUF leaders: Issa Hassan Sesay, Morris Kallon, and Augustine Gbao. The Chamber unanimously upheld the convictions of Sesay and Kallon on all 16 counts and unanimously overturned Gbao’s conviction on Count 2 (collective punishments) and found that he was not responsible for one of the two attacks against UN peacekeepers (Count 15) for which he was convicted by the Trial Chamber. The majority of the Chamber also upheld Gbao’s liability for crimes pursuant to his participation in the Joint Criminal Enterprise, although three judges dissented on this holding.
8 September 2009: The appointment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations of Sierra Leonean lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara as Acting Prosecutor of the Special Court takes effect.
4 September 2009: Judges and members of Uganda’s recently-established War Crimes Division visit the Special Court as part of a study of transitional justice mechanisms in Sierra Leone.
2-4 September 2009: Appeals Chamber hears three days of oral arguments in the appeal by three convicted former leaders of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF): Issa Hassan Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, who were convicted in February for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In April, the Trial Chamber handed down sentences ranging from 25 to 52 years.
19 August 2009: Special Court Prosecutor Stephen Rapp is confirmed as the US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues. Mr. Rapp will leave the Court on 7 September.
16 July 2009: Special Court President Justice Winters and Prosecutor Stephen Rapp brief the United Nations Security Council on the progress of the Court and remaining challenges.
13 July 2009: The Defense opens its case in the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor.
3 July 2009: The Registrars of the Special Court, the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon issue a joint declaration on the administration of justice following a roundtable meeting in Venice.
29 June 2009: The Special Court concludes a sentence enforcement agreement with Finland, which will allow the Court to send a convict to serve the remainder of his sentence in that country.
25 May 2009: Justice Renate Winter is re-elected as President of the Special Court.
4 May 2009: The Trial Chamber presiding over the Charles Taylor case dismisses the Defense’s Motion for Judgment of Acquittal and orders the Taylor defense to open on 29 June.
4 May 2009: Justice Shireen Avis Fisher of the United States is sworn in as an Appeals Chamber judge.
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9 April 2009: The Prosecution responds to Charles Taylor's Defense's oral submissions of a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal in the The Hague.
8 April 2009: In theRUFcase, the Special Court sentences Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon, and Augustine Gbao.Sesay, Kallon, and Gbao are sentenced to multiple terms of imprisonment to be served concurrently: Sesay's longest being 51 years, Kallon's longest being 40 years, and Gbao's longest being 25 years.
6 April 2009: Defense counsel for Charles Taylor presents oral submissions of a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal, arguing that the Prosecution failed to present evidence or prove its case beyond reasonable doubt on all counts in the indictment that would warrant a conviction against Mr. Taylor.
23 March 2009: The Special Court hears additional oral arguments on sentencing for the RUFcase.
19 March 2009: The SCSL signs a sentence enforcement agreement with the Rwandan government for SCSL-convicted war criminals to serve their sentences in Rwanda.
27 February 2009: The Prosecution rests its case against Charles Taylor and objects to Defense's request for 40 days to prepare for next stage of trial. The next hearing is set for 6 April 2009 for the Defense’s oral submissions on a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal.
25 February 2009: The Trial Chamber issues oral judgment convicting three former RUF leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Issa Hassan Sesay and Morris Kallon are convicted on 16 of 18 original counts, and Augustine Gbao was convicted on 14 of 18 original counts.
30 January 2009: The Prosecution concludes witness testimony in the trial for former Liberian President Charles Taylor. Altogether, Prosecutors called 91 witnesses to support their 11 count indictment of Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity.The Prosecution is awaiting decisions on several outstanding motions from the Trial Chamber beforeresting its case.
22 November 2008: Justice A. Raja N. Fernando, a Judge of the Appeals Chamber and former President of the Special Court, passed away in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a short illness.
6 November 2008: Special Court publishes glossary of legal terms in the four major local languages of Sierra Leone.
20 October 2008: Special Court Prosecutor Stephen Rapp accuses Charles Taylor’s Defence lawyers of causing hardship for victim witnesses by requiring the witnesses’ presence in the court, located in the Hague, when their evidence is not in dispute.
30 September 2008: Defendant Charles Taylor absent from proecedings due to observance of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
2 September 2008: The Special Court for Sierra Leone informs the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia that any request for an audience with Charles Taylor would have to comply with the “Practice Direction on the procedure following a request by a State, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or other legitimate authority to take a statement from a person in the custody of the Special Court for Sierra Leone,” adopted by the Special Court on 9 September 2003 and amended on 4 October 2003.
1 September 2008: The Special Court for Sierra Leone receives a request from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia for an audience with former President of Liberia Charles Taylor.
5 August 2008: Closing arguments conclude in the RUF case.
24 June 2008: Witness testimony in the case of RUF case concludes. No further witness testimony will be given at the Court in Freetown.
30 May 2008: Justice Jon Kamanda Elected Vice President of Special Court.
29 May 2008: Justice Renate Winter Elected President of Special Court.
28 May 2008: Appeals Chamber overturns convictions of both AFRC accused on the collective punishments charge as well as Kondewa’s conviction for the use of child soldiers. At the same time, the Appeals Chamber enters new convictions against both Fofana and Kondewa for the crimes against humanity of murder and other inhumane acts. The Appeals Chamber also enhanced the sentences against the both accused, meaning Fofana will serve 15 years and Kondewa will serve 20 years.
6 March 2008: In the RUF case, Trial Chamber I denies Defence motion for an order to the Prosecution to clarify and specify the scope of its case regarding RUF involvement in the Freetown invasion on January 6, 1999.
27 February 2008: In the Taylor case, Trial Chamber II denies confidential Prosecution motions SCSL-03-01-T-372 and SCSL-03-01-T-385 for the testimonies of witnesses to be held in closed session.
25 February 2008: Trial Chamber I grants the Prosecution’s application for leave to appeal decision on the Sesay Defence motion requesting the lifting of protective measures in respect of certain Prosecution witnesses.
22 February 2008: Special Court Prosecutor Stephen Rapp commends the judgment of the Appeals Chamber upholding the Trial Chamber convictions of the three AFRC Defendants for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
22 February 2008: In the AFRC case, the Appeals Chamber upheld the sentences of Alex Tamba Brima (fifty years), Brima Bazzy Kamara (forty-five years), and Santigie Borbor Kanu (fifty years).
20-21 February 2008: The Special Court convenes an international conference to consider “residual issues” facing the court when it closes down, such as the enforcement of sentences, how requests for a review of judgment would be handled, and witness protection.
24 January 2008: In the RUF case, Trial Chamber I dismisses the Defence’s appeal against the Court’s decision dismissing Sesay and Gbao’s Motion for Voluntary Withdrawal or Disqualification of Hon. Justice Bankole Thompson.
21 January 2008: In the CDF case, the Appeals Chamber denies the Request of Human Rights Watch for Leave to Appear as Amicus Curiae in the Prosecution Appeal against the Judgment and Sentencing Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa.
7 January 2008: In the Taylor case, trail resumes in The Hague.
7 November 2007: Justice Jon Kamanda is sworn in as Appeals Judge
9 October 2007: In the CDF case, the Court issues sentencing judgments. Moinina Fofana, who is convicted on four counts, is to serve six years, and Allieu Kondewa, who is convicted on five counts, is to serve an eight-year sentence. Both are to be given credit for time served since being taken into custody on May 29, 2003.
2 August 2007: In the CDF case, the Court issues its judgment. Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa are each convicted on courts of murder, cruel treatment, pillage and collective punishments. Kondewa is also convicted on one count of recruitment of child combatants under the age of 15.
20 July 2007: The Secretary General of the United Nations appoints Herman von Hebel as Registrar of the Court. Mr. von Hebel has served as Deputy Registrar of the Court since July 2006. He in turn names Binta Mansaray to succeed him as Deputy Registrar.
19 July 2007: In the AFRC case, the Court hands down its first sentences to former members of Sierra Leone's Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) Alex Tamba Brima ("Gullit"), Brima Bazzy Kamara, and Santigie Borbor Kanu ("Fiver-Five"). Brima and Kanu are sentenced to fifty years in prison and Kamara to forty-five years; all will receive credit for the time they were detained pending trial.
5 July 2007: Justice Benjamin Mutanga Itoe (Cameroon) is elected to a one-year term as Presiding Judge of Trial Chamber I. He succeeds Justice Bankole Thompson (Sierra Leone).
25 June 2007: In the Taylor case, Charles Taylor’s trial resumes. The defendant again refuses to appear, prompting the Court to rule that his failure to show constitutes a boycott and thus the defendant may not represent himself in the proceedings.
20 June 2007: In the AFRC case, Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu are convicted on 11 of 14 counts, including murder, rape and enlisting child soldiers. The judgment is the first to be handed down at the SCSL, and it marks the first time that an international court or tribunal has ruled on the charge of recruitment of child soldiers into an armed force, and on the crime of forced marriage in an armed conflict.
4 June 2007: In the Taylor case, the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor begins with opening arguments. Taylor boycots the processdings and his assigned attorney walks out of the courtroom, claiming that Taylor has fired him and wishes to act as his own attorney.
17 May 2007: Justice George Gelaga King (Sierra Leone) is re-elected Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber.
4 May 2007: Justice El Hadji Malick Sow (Senegal) is sworn in as an alternate Judge of the Special Court’s Trial Chamber.
3 May 2007: In the RUF case, the defense case opens.
19 March 2007: Herman Von Hebel is appointed Acting Registrar, replacing Lovemore Munlo.
22 February 2007: In the CDF case, former Sierra Leone Internal Affairs Minister Sam Hinga Norman Dies in Dakar, Senegal, while recovering from “routine” medical procedures performed on February 8.
23 January 2007: In the Taylor case, in response to a Defense request the Court decides that trial will be postponed until June 4, 2007.
17 January 2007: In the CDF and RUF cases, Sam Hinga Norman and Issa Sesay are flown to Dakar, Senegal, for undisclosed medical treatment.