Taylor lawyer in protest
Source: Agencies |
February 9, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CALLING the trial "a farce," Charles Taylor's lawyer stormed out of court yesterday after judges refused to accept a written summary of the former Liberian president's defense at the end of his landmark war crimes case in Leidschendam, Netherlands.
British attorney Courtenay Griffiths ignored judges at the Special Tribunal for Sierra Leone who ordered him to stay in court after unprecedented angry exchanges erupted before closing arguments in the three-year case.
"How will posterity judge the credibility of this court if, at this 11th hour, they prevented Mr Taylor from presenting ... 90 percent of his closing arguments?" Griffiths said outside court. "It is a complete farce."
Prosecutor Brenda Hollis argued Taylor and his lawyers don't have the right to walk out.
"The accused is not attending a social event," Hollis said. "He is the accused at a criminal proceeding."
Taylor himself remained in court as Hollis began summing up the prosecution case.
On Monday, the three-judge panel issued a majority decision rejecting Taylor's final brief because it was filed 20 days after their January 14 deadline.
Ugandan Judge Julia Sebutinde dissented, warning that refusing to accept Taylor's brief "is to deny him his fundamental right to defend himself."
British attorney Courtenay Griffiths ignored judges at the Special Tribunal for Sierra Leone who ordered him to stay in court after unprecedented angry exchanges erupted before closing arguments in the three-year case.
"How will posterity judge the credibility of this court if, at this 11th hour, they prevented Mr Taylor from presenting ... 90 percent of his closing arguments?" Griffiths said outside court. "It is a complete farce."
Prosecutor Brenda Hollis argued Taylor and his lawyers don't have the right to walk out.
"The accused is not attending a social event," Hollis said. "He is the accused at a criminal proceeding."
Taylor himself remained in court as Hollis began summing up the prosecution case.
On Monday, the three-judge panel issued a majority decision rejecting Taylor's final brief because it was filed 20 days after their January 14 deadline.
Ugandan Judge Julia Sebutinde dissented, warning that refusing to accept Taylor's brief "is to deny him his fundamental right to defend himself."
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