Chambers

The Chambers of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon are composed of a Pre-Trial Chamber, a Trial Chamber, and an Appeals Chamber

The Chambers of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon are composed of (i) one international Pre-Trial Judge, (ii) a Trial Chamber (three judges: one Lebanese and two international, plus two alternate judges, one Lebanese and one international), and (iii) an Appeals Chamber (five judges: two Lebanese and three international).

All judges must be persons of high moral character, impartiality and integrity, with extensive judicial experience. The Secretary-General appointed the judges in consultation with the Lebanese Government and upon the recommendation of a Selection Panel, made up of two judges currently sitting on or retired from an international tribunal, and a representative of the Secretary-General.

The Lebanese Judges were appointed by the Secretary-General from a list of 12 nominees presented by the Government of the Lebanese Republic upon the proposal of the Lebanese Supreme Council of the Judiciary. The International Judges were appointed by the Secretary-General, from nominations received from Member States or competent persons. The Judges serve for a period of three years and are eligible for reappointment.

A single international judge serves as the Pre-Trial Judge. He may request deferrals of cases from the domestic courts of Lebanon, decides on detention matters in the pre-trial phase, reviews and confirms indictments, and organizes and facilitates the work of the parties in the pre-trial phase. He may also issue arrest warrants, transfer requests, and any other orders required for the conduct of the investigation and for the preparation of a fair and expeditious trial.

The Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chamber is also the President of the Tribunal. He represents the institution as a whole, signing agreements on its behalf and submitting an annual report to the UN Secretary-General and to the Government of Lebanon. He may also issue practice directions to address detailed aspects of the conduct of the proceedings. He further supervises conditions of detention. The Vice-President exercises the functions of the President in case of his absence or inability to act, as well as any function delegated to him by the President.

Judges must ensure that issues raised by the charges made by the Prosecutor be heard expeditiously. The Trial Chamber is to hear the evidence and rule on procedural and substantive issues at public hearings with full respect for the rights of the accused, taking into account the interests of victims participating in the proceedings and the necessary protection of witnesses.