Browsing by Person "Charters, Simon"

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Best practice recommendations for the protection and support of witnesses.
(Special Court of Sierra Leone, 2009) Charters, Simon; Horn, Rebecca; Vahidy, Saleem
Testifying in the Special Court for Sierra Leone: witness perceptions of safety and emotional welfare
(Routledge, 2011) Horn, Rebecca; Vahidy, Saleem; Charters, Simon
This paper describes the experience of those who have testified in the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), particularly in terms of the impact on witness security and emotional welfare. The SCSL is an international war crimes tribunal located in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Testifying in such a court has the potential to negatively impact on witnesses' personal security, and their emotional, social and economic well-being. Therefore, the SCSL has a number of measures in place to protect witnesses, and to ensure they are not negatively affected by testifying. One hundred and seventy-one witnesses who had completed their testimony were interviewed. Their responses indicate that witnesses do not feel less safe as a result of their involvement with the SCSL, and that they become less worried as their familiarity with the Court and its processes increases. Aspects of the SCSL's work with witnesses that particularly contribute to their well-being are identified, along with aspects of the service which could be modified or improved.
The victim-witness experience in the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
(A B Academic Publishers, 2009) Horn, Rebecca; Charters, Simon; Vahidy, Saleem
This paper reports the findings of an interview study of 144 victim-witnesses who testified in the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Witnesses expressed satisfaction with the preparation they received for testifying from their lawyers, particularly appreciating emotional support, as well as practical preparations. Victim-witnesses generally evaluated their interactions with all court staff positively, and reported feeling well-treated by the Court. The experience of cross-examination was difficult for a large proportion of witnesses in the current study, but an even larger group of witnesses reported the experience to be positive. For some witnesses, the experience of successfully coping with the challenge of cross-examination may be empowering. The feelings reportedly experienced by witnesses during their testimony are similarly mixed: a large proportion reported painful feelings, but others reported feeling confident, relieved and happy when they testified. The importance of continued post-testimony contact with witnesses is supported by the current study; witnesses expressed a strong desire for ongoing contact with the SCSL. According to witnesses' own evaluations, their security was not negatively affected by their involvement with the court. This indicates that the SCSL has been largely successful in its attempt to protect the identities of those who testify in its trials.
Witnesses in the special court for Sierra Leone: The importance of the witness-lawyer relationship
(2009) Horn, Rebecca; Charters, Simon; Vahidy, Saleem
This study is concerned with the relationship between witnesses testifying in the Special Court for Sierra Leone and their legal teams. Other research conducted with witnesses in international war crimes tribunals suggests that this relationship has a significant impact on the experience of such witnesses. A structured interview was administered to 171 witnesses who had testified in the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Witnesses generally felt their lawyers' attitude towards them was extremely good. Emotional support and good preparation for testifying seem to be particularly important predictors of witnesses' relationship with their lawyers, as does the level of respect they felt they received from court staff. However, communication between witnesses and their legal teams after the testimony is over did not have a significant impact on witnesses' evaluations of their lawyers' attitude towards them.