Whats the legal system like in Cambodia?
As I understand it, it’s based on the French system because that’s who colonized Cambodia. The system is still somewhat of a Continental inquisitorial system, as they would have in France or Germany, where they have an examining magistrate. However, they seem to be on the cusp of permitting lawyers to play a more active role in trying cases. The ABA has a liaison who works with Cambodian lawyers and law schools and is gradually introducing the adversarial system of justice and training lawyers to make opening statements and closing arguments and question witnesses. How did you hear about the ABA program? I met the lawyer who invited me, Steven Austermiller, on a trip to Croatia with my family, and we kept in touch. He moved to Cambodia to run the ABA’s rule of law initiative there and he contacted me earlier this year to ask if I would be the outside consultant to an annual two-day program he puts on. How did the backdrop of the Khmer Rouge trial affect your experience in Cambodia? I s
