Collective reparations at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Source: (2012) International Criminal Law Review. 12: 457-489.

One of the most distinct features of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
(ECCC) is that it combines an extensive victim participation scheme with a reparations mandate,
although civil parties are limited to seeking ‘collective and moral reparations’. This article looks
at recent developments in the ECCC’s collective reparations mandate and the result of the
Court’s first trial in which no tangible reparations were awarded to civil parties. It will then examine
recent rule amendments under which the Victims Support Section was given responsibility for
designing and implementing reparations projects for civil parties and other non-judicial measures
addressing the broader interests of victims. Based on these developments, the article discusses the
main challenges for implementing collective reparations in Cambodia and beyond. The article
concludes with some preliminary observations and lessons following the completion of the ECCC’s
first trial. (author’s abstract)