Senate Commission Examines Court System
The nationwide examination of the courts has already found bias and corruption, a senator said Thursday. (20 November 2008)
The Senate's legislation and law commission is undertakingan examination of laws and irregularities inside Cambodia's courts, said OukBunchhoeun, head of the commission. "We just started the survey since the first semester, inKampong Speu [provincial] court," he said. "We found some irregularities, likeverdicts that must be applied to a person though the person refuses to have themapplied, and the problem of over-extended provisional detention." Cambodia'scourts are widely accused of bias and corruption, something Ouk Bunchhoeun acknowledged the commission had found. "But it seems difficult to evaluate clearly the origin ofthe problem," he said. The examination will continue throughout Cambodia's 24provinces and municipalities. The Senate commission is now examining the courtsin Kandal province. Next on the block: the provinces of Prey Veng, Svay Riengand Kampong Cham. The commission is not only surveying the courts but isquestioning local organizations that work with them, Ouk Bunchhoeun said. Chan Saveth, a senior investigator for the rights groupAdhoc, said Thursday that in reality, poor defendants saw swift action from the courts, unlike the rich or powerful. "If the case is related to politics, the suspect is noteasy to catch and the court delays action," he said. "And usually the poor saythey lose justice because they have no money to pay the corrupt. Plus, we cannote that the court is under the pressure of politics and powerful people." Among other overhauls, donors have requested a reform of the judiciary. According to a recent Center for Social Development survey,between April 1 and June 30 this year, 322 defendants failed to show in 137trials. Of these, 6 percent were in detention but were not brought to court.The other 94 percent were not detained; they were either released or neverarrested. USAID in 2007 began hanging information boards inside courtcompounds to help the public understand transparently set fines for differentcrimes. Ouk Bunchhoeun said the commission's work was ongoing, butat the end of it the Senate planned to write a report with recommendations thatwill be sent to relevant institutions like the Ministry of Justice. Justice Minister Ang Vong Vattana said Thursday thecommission's work "will help us reform in the future."