Understanding Acceptance of International Justice through Duch's Sentence at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

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The chapter discusses several aspects of the acceptance of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) by legal professionals, political elites, as well as victims and the general public. It focuses on the verdict of the first trial, which was later overruled in a decision by the Appeals Chamber. In 2010, Kaing Guek Eav alias ’Duch’, was initially sentenced to 35 years in prison, which were later reduced to 19 years. However, the Appeals Chamber overruled the initial verdict and imposed life imprisonment, which proved to be a critical step in relation to the acceptance amongst different groups. Legal practitioners saw the Appeal Chamber’s decision rather critical. Some judges issued dissenting opinions in which they criticized the Chamber’s reasoning, based on a possible breach of international standards regarding the fairness of the trial. Politically, the acceptance of the ECCC seemed to be influenced by the international approval of the first verdict, as the ECCC did gain legitimacy in the eyes of many political leaders. The Appeals Chamber verdict was widely welcomed by victims; most of whom argued from a moral perspective and found the earlier Trial Chamber verdict too lenient.