1 - Introduction

Summary

This chapter provides an overview of this book. It briefly discusses the brutal conflict that arose in Sierra Leone and the subsequent treaty between the United Nations and Sierra Leone that created the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Thereafter, it discusses the similarities and differences between the Special Court and the United Nations ad hoc international criminal tribunals. Although the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda provided notable contributions to international criminal law, and were the modern pioneers, the work and legacy of the SCSL should not be forgotten. The failure to include the Special Court in these discussions overlooks vital developments given the Special Court’s important contributions to our understanding of personal jurisdiction, the war crime of child recruitment, the crime against humanity of forced marriage, immunity, amnesty and the relationship between truth commissions and criminal trials. It is submitted that recognizing the contributions, judgments, and precedents of the SCSL is beneficial to the entire international community as international criminal law continues to develop. Finally, the chapter provides a brief outline of the subsequent chapters contained in the book.