Judge Florence Mumba clinches Cambodian job

Judge Florence Mumba

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Lusaka Times

A Zambian Judge, Florence Mumba, has been appointed as International Reserve Judge of the Pre-Trial Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the courts of Cambodia for the prosecution of crimes committed during the period of Democratic Kampuchea (ECCC).

United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary General in charge of the Office of Legal Affairs, Peter Taksoe-Jensen disclosed this in a statement today.

Mr. Jensen said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has since received notification from Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia that the Supreme Council has appointed Judge Mumba o be part of the team to prosecute the leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime for the crimes they committed.

He said according to the terms of the Pre-Trial Chamber of Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Judges are appointed by the UN Secretary General.

The Cambodian government has invited international participation for the sake of its people and because of the perceived weakness of that country’s legal system and the nature of the crimes.

This is contained in a statement released Moses Walubita, First Secretary for Press at Zambia’s permanent mission to the UN in New York.

In 2001, the Cambodia National Assembly (NA) passed a law to create a court to try serious crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge Regime in 1975 to1979.

The Khmer Rouge regime took over power on April 17, 1975 and was over thrown on January 7, 1979.

The end of the Khmer Rouge was then followed by civil war which finally ended in 1998 when the Khmer political and military structures were dismantled.

In 1997, the government requested the UN to assist in establishing a trial to prosecute the senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge.

This special new court was created by the government of Cambodia and the UN to be independent and would provide new role model for court operations in that country.

Judge Mumba is currently the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

Reserve Tribunal Judge Selected

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
02 February 2009

The Supreme Council of Magistracy has named a Zambian judge to serve as an alternate at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, officials said.

Florence Mumba, who has experience working at the International Criminal Court in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, will serve as a reserve judge for the

Pre-trial Chamber, following her nomination by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Friday’s unanimous approval by the Council.

The Council also approved the nomination of Yeth Charya to chief prosecutor of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, in an eight-to-one vote. The Council had previously split on the decision, four to four, with King Norodom Sihamoni, its head, remaining neutral.

Tribunal Reserve Judge To Be Chosen

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
29 January 2009

The Supreme Council of Magistracy on Friday will discuss the U.N. nomination of a Zambian judge with experience in the Rwandan war crimes trials for an international reserve judge position at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, an official said Wednesday.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon nominated Florence Mumba for the position, the official said.

Previously, she worked for the International Criminal Court for Rwanda, as a member of the Appeals Chamber. Mumba also was part of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, presiding as judge over several cases. In Zambia, she served as counsel to the Supreme Court in the 1970s.

The Supreme Council of Magistracy, which is chaired by King Norodom Sihamoni, is scheduled to review the selection of the reserve judge on Friday.

Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath confirmed the council would make a decision, but was unable to provide further detail.

The Pre-Trial Chamber, which is currently supposed to decide on whether more Khmer Rouge leaders will be indicted, has three national judges, two national judges, as well as one each from each side in reserve.