Why in Iraq and not at the international criminal court?
The international criminal court was set up to hear such cases as Saddam is likely to appear in, but its jurisdiction extends from its foundation in 2002 and it cannot be used to hear charges relating to events before that date. There was also a political motive to trying Saddam in Iraq, as the new state attempts to demonstrate to its citizens that it has a functioning judiciary. Putting the court in Iraq was thought to be a way to keep the events close to the people who had been the principal victims of the Ba’athist regime. But the trial has descended into chaos, with Saddam entering into slanging matches with the judge, the assassination of two defence lawyer and a third fleeing the country in fear. Three of the original five judges hearing the case have been replaced, including the chief judge, Rizgar Amin, who resigned after criticism that he was being too indulgent to the defendants. Is anyone else on trial? The Dujail case sees Saddam and seven co-defendants in the dock: his the
