Author of case study: Marcela Torres Molano

Geopolitical location of space:
Jomo Kenyatta Rd
Freetown, Sierra Leone

Extant? Yes

Architect:
Not specified

Timeframe of RJ/TJ process in this space:

Start date: 2000, with the request creation of a special court
End date: 2013
The building became The Sierra Leone Peace Museum in 2013.

Background information:

The special court served the transitional justice process in Sierra Leone. The SCSL was a hybrid criminal court (combining international and domestic law), by the United Nations and Sierra Leone justice system, to prosecute perpetrators of crimes committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.

Is restorative justice actually taking place in this space?

The court was created to prosecute those responsible for human rights violations during the conflict. It was part of the approaches to give some relief to Sierra Leone after a decade of civil conflict marked by intense violence against civilians, recruitment of child soldiers, corruption and bloody struggle for control of diamond mines.

Is this space designed/arranged for safe listening?

The court was created to prosecute those responsible for human rights violations during the civil conflict.

Who is the audience/the intended participants for this space?

Perpetrators of serious crimes committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.

How or to what extent is this space public?

In the beginning the site was a very secured place, guarded by UN peacekeepers. Later in 2013, it became a public museum of peace.

What are the politics of this space, either in terms of its location, design, spatial, or visual aspects?

The Special Court for Sierra Leone was established to “prosecute persons who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in the territory of Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996.”

(Article 1 of the Agreement between the UnitedNations and the Government of Sierra Leone on Establishment of a Special Court for Sierra Leone) The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up in 2002. It was divided into two main functions: the Appeals and the Trial chambers. There were eight Judges in the Special Court, from seven different countries. It was an independent court, created as a “hybrid” international criminal tribunal, using both international and Sierra Leonean laws, judges and staff. It was created to address serious crimes against civilians and UN peacekeepers committed during the country’s civil war (1991-2002).

“It was the first modern international tribunal to sit in the country where the crimes took place, and the first to have an effective outreach programme on the ground.” It was also the first international court to be funded by voluntary contributions. In 2013, it became the first court to complete its commission and transition to The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone. The residual court works on witness protection, supervision of prison sentences, and management of the SCSL archives.

Physical/factual description of space:

The site is located in the center of Freetown. Through the period of the Special Court the site housed the Court situated in the main building, Special Court’s staff offices, and a detention centre. The court building located in the middle of the site, as a central element, was designed as a contemporary architecture structure. The interior of the courtrooms were decorated with wood, and arranged in a circle form with judges seated in the front of the room. The public was separated from the official workers and those being charged by a glass structure.

The staff offices were housed in rows of containers, with space for 280 staff, composed of 120 internationals and 160 Sierra Leoneans. The detention’s cells were twice the size of minimum international standards and detainees were allowed to be outside of their cells from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

When the Special Court finished all of its cases, the building was left as a symbol of justice. This modern building houses an archive and law library containing the documents related to the conflict, including the public records of the SCSL and of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The space also includes a memorial to victims, an exhibition on the war’s history and the peace process, and spaces for training.

Analytical description of space:

During the Sierra Leone Civil War numerous atrocities were committed including war rape, mutilation, and mass murder, causing many of the perpetrators to be tried in international criminal courts, and the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission. All sides of the conflict, including the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC,) and the Civilian Defense Forces (CDF), were responsible for committing human rights abuses. The conflict was also characterized by cross-border involvement from Liberia, as well as the struggle for control of diamonds and other economic resources.

The government of Sierra Leone and the RUF signed a peace agreement in Lomé, Togo in 1999. The Lomé Peace Agreement included amnesty for all parties to the war and an agreement to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). In August 2000, in response to a request from Sierra Leone President Kabbah, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1315 mandating the creation of the Special Court for Sierra Leone to prosecute “those persons who bear the greatest responsibility for the commission of violations of international humanitarian law” perpetrated between November 30, 1996 and 1999.

The Government of Sierra Leone allocated land in Freetown for the use of the Special Court. The court formally closed its doors on December 2, 2013. The land was gradually transferred back to the Government of Sierra Leone. The site was turned into a museum dedicated to peace. The museum became a national institution to preserve the truth, honour the conflict’s victims, and promote lasting peace.