Established by law in January 2002. Trials began on June 3, 2004 and, according to its mandate, were to end by 2006. It is now due to have completed its operations by December 2009.

Mandate: Established to try those who have greatest responsibility for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other serious violations of international law committed during 1991-1999 conflict.

Staff: 8 Judges

Structure: Four bodies: (1) Registry, (2) Chambers, (3) Prosecution, and (4) Defence

Funding: Major funding from the UN and 28 countries, especially the United States. The Completion Budget estimates that $89 million will be required for the period January 2007 -December 2009.

See for the court’s statute: www.sc-sl.org/scsl-statute.html
Document creating Special Court can be found at:
www.sierra-leone.org/specialcourtagreement.html

January 2008: 13 people have been indicted, with 9 of them in custody of court. Three have died and one, Johnny Paul Koroma, remains beyond the court's reach. In October 2007, two former leaders of the Central Defence Forces (CDF), Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa, were sentenced to imprisonment for 19 years and 34 years respectively. Longer sentences have been given to three former members of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) found guilty in July 2007. Brima Bazzy Kamara was sentenced to 45 years in prison, while Alex Taba Brima and Santigie Borber Kanu were both given 50 years.

The court began hearing testimony for its first trial on June 15, 2004.

The trial of Charles Taylor, former President of Liberia, resumed in the Hague on the 7 January after 6 months' delay following Taylor's decision to fire his legal team. The trial is expected to last 18 months.

Taylor was indicted on 7 March, 2003 the on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was eventually taken into custody on 29 March 2006. Concerns over security, were the case to be conducted in Sierra Leone, have prompted its transferral to the Hague. The indictment was amended to 11 counts in March 2006, including charges of terrorism, unlawful killings, sexual and physical violence and the enlisting of child soldiers. Mr Taylor has pleaded not guilty on all charges. [HRW]  

The trial of Sam Hinga Norman, former Minister for Internal Affairs, on 8 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, was suspended after Mr Norman died in February 2007 of natural causes.