Richard Dicker Quotes (47 Quotes)


    It was clear that Slobodan Milosevic was not conducting a legal defense to the charges he was facing. Rather he embarked on a political offensive to secure his place in the hearts and minds of his followers back in Serbia. That approach extended the length of this trial far beyond what it should have.

    This is a crucial moment for Washington to help West Africa break a devastating cycle of impunity.

    We call on all governmental and inter-governmental actors in West Africa to ensure Taylor promptly appears for trial.

    This is a historic step which opens doors to justice for people of Northern Uganda who have suffered horribly for nearly 20 years under the hands of the LRA,

    The ICC must also look into abuses committed by the Ugandan army, ... If the court finds that these crimes don't fall within its limited mandate, it should make its findings available to the Ugandan authorities so that they can bring the perpetrators to justice. In doing so, the court must also be mindful of the security and confidentiality of its sources.


    This reluctance to press Nigeria to hand over Taylor fosters a double standard that betrays the people of Sierra Leone,

    This musical chairs that they keep playing with the judges raises profound questions about the credibility of the court.

    I think we need to dial down our expectations of the history-telling functions of these trials.

    The problem will occur if judges are not able to insulate the tribunal against that influence. If they are unable to do that, then there are going to be serious questions about the tribunal's fairness and credibility.

    All kinds of political actors will be trying to spin the procedures to their own political ends in one way or another, be that the U. S. ambassador, the prime minister, the defense lawyers, the judge or the prosecutor.

    For the U.S. government and the United Nations not to press Nigeria to hand Taylor over will send a clear message that the law only reaches so far.

    The message here for the political leadership of Africa is that the days of absolute impunity for mass crimes is coming to an end, and that is a major milestone.

    Milosevic's death is a setback for justice but most important it is a setback for the victims of the horrific crimes in the Balkans for whom this trial offered a chance of truth and redress.

    I think there have been real difficulties and problems in the Milosevic trial. What will be important is the evidence that was presented to indicate the motivation and intent of Milosevic.

    There is an urgent need for a state to step forward. A prolonged delay would raise real questions about the commitment of the international community to international justice.

    This is a disturbingly low threshold. It's a real anomaly that reflects Iraqi law but not developing international law.

    not just as people associated with horrific acts but as indicted war criminals by an international court.

    Milosevic's death sets back efforts to show that ethnic cleansing was the product not of an ethnic group but of the designs of individual leaders. His trial laid bare the massive evidence of his crimes, but his victims will now be denied a formal judgment on his guilt.

    I think there is a danger ... of this spinning out of control,

    She is the principal figure to date to be sentenced by the tribunal, and when you add the confession of guilt it makes for a significant milestone in the work of the tribunal.

    The recent murder of two defense lawyers in the trial demonstrates the urgent need to protect those lawyers as well as witnesses. However, all arrangements for witness protection must be consistent with fair trial guarantees.

    There has only been one case to date in which a war crime committed against ethnic Serbs was prosecuted and properly tried in a Croatian court. By contrast, Croatian courts have found ethnic Serbs guilty of war crimes even for such acts as theft of bedclothes, plates or an alarm clock from a house.

    The boycott of defense lawyers must be handled in a way that demonstrates both the tribunals full commitment to fair trial rights and its control of the proceedings.

    Now more than ever, we urge international donors to provide adequate funding so the court can complete its work successfully.

    President Obasanjo must promptly comply with the request for Taylor's surrender. Consultation with other African leaders should not buy Taylor any more time to escape facing justice for his alleged crimes.

    The trial did lay bare evidence of crimes he was alleged to have committed. I don't feel the four years were a waste in this sense. Something of a record has been set out, though short of the finality of a verdict.

    We understand that any trial will need to be accessible to the victims of the crimes, and to those in whose names the crimes were committed, ... But if it proves impossible to conduct a fair trial because of the security conditions, the question arises of relocating the trial elsewhere to allow for a fair proceeding.

    We have grave concerns that the court will not ensure fair trial,

    These trials are commencing in an environment of severe insecurity, ... Everyone participating in the trial participation in the trial process judges, prosecutors, victims, witnesses and defense counsel are exposing themselves to grave risks.

    On the second anniversary of Charles Taylor's flight to Nigeria, his continued impunity is undermining the rule of law in West Africa and putting civilians in the region at risk.

    serious human rights shortcomings in the structure of the trial.

    U.S. ambassadors have been acting like schoolyard bullies. The U.S. campaign has not succeeded in undermining global support for the court. But it has succeeded in making the U.S. government look foolish and mean-spirited.

    This is a historic step, but only a first step because the prosecutor has been silent about crimes by the Ugandan Army.

    The judges' inauguration makes this court more unstoppable than ever,

    A third country needs to offer a jail cell for Charles Taylor if he's convicted. Countries should be lining up to take Taylor, not backing away.

    Nigeria must ensure that Taylor is not permitted to flee from justice and the international community must ensure that security in Liberia is maintained during this process.

    This could have a chilling effect on the willingness of competent lawyers to vigorously defend the accused and that could have a fatal effect on the fairness and effectiveness of the trial.

    The people of northern Uganda have long suffered terrible abuses without any chance of redress, ... With today's arrest warrants, the ICC has opened the door for justice to be done.

    There are lessons for the prosecution to learn and lessons for the judges to learn. The length of the trial underscores the importance of focusing on the key charges.

    I think indeed that these trials need to be conducted on a more focused basis than the Milosevic trial was. Of necessity, some of these criminal trials will not be able to tell anywhere near the full story of what happened.

    It may not be possible to conduct these kinds of highly charged cases in what is a very fragile and unstable environment where there is still armed conflict,

    The U.S. government has played a very positive role in pressing for Taylor's surrender. His transfer to the Sierra Leone war crimes court marks a milestone in the international community's commitment to justice.

    We think this is an important first step and we urge the prosecutor to go further and higher, up to the political actors who were manipulating these militias for their own ends.

    We will look very carefully at how the judges respond to motions submitted by the defense, including requests for more time to allow adequate preparation.

    I was troubled to see the prosecutor make what was effectively a lengthy, pretty political statement that wasn't necessarily legally grounded.

    A fair trial requires defense counsel who can defend their clients zealously, without fear of reprisal.

    To minimize the risks involved, the court must make sure the lawyers it appoints mount a vigorous defense.


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