Friday, July 6, 2007

Darryl Robinson, Adjunct Professor and Acting Director of the International Human Rights Clinic, was interviewed on CBC Newsworld on June 3, 2007 about the Charles Taylor trial.  Charles Taylor, former President of Liberia, faces trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague for directing rebel groups that carried out war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone. 

Addressing the implications of the trial, Robinson noted that Taylor is the third ex-President to face trial for crimes against humanity in recent years, suggesting a tectonic shift - international justice is now a credible threat, giving rise to realistic possibilities of reducing future crimes.  Potential challenges for the trial include linking Taylor to the crimes, and protecting insider witnesses who can testify about Taylor's role.