SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON; A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE IN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW

So far, many international criminal courts have been established for trying international crimes by United Nations and Security Council. Such as; Nuremberg international military tribunal, Tokyo tribunal, international criminal tribunal for former Yugoslavia, international criminal tribunal for former Rwanda, international criminal court and Special court for Searle one. Special Tribunal for Lebanon has a new perspective in the course of the international criminal justice administration. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) represents a sui generis international tribunal on various levels. STL is the first international criminal jurisdiction to exercise jurisdiction solely over domestic crimes. This is one of the unique elements of the Tribunal. Other important originalities of the Statute of the STL pertain to its procedure. They include the provisions concerning the functions of the pre-trial judge, the role of the judges in conducting the proceedings, the participation of victims and the possibility of holding trials in absentia.