Lebanese Judge Ralph Jacques Riachy Assumes Functions as Vice-President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

Leidschendam, 24 June 2009: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) announces that Judge Ralph Jacques Riachy has assumed his functions full time as Vice-President of the Tribunal effective 8 June 2009.

Judge Riachy was elected as Vice-President of the STL, with the unanimous support of his fellow STL judges, and sworn in during the first day of the Plenary Meeting of the judges held the week following the launch of the STL operations from 9 to 20 March 2009.

Judge Riachy was one of the four Lebanese Judges appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations upon the recommendation in December 2007 by the Selection Panel set up to interview Lebanese and international candidates for the positions of STL judges in accordance with article 2, paragraph 5 (d) of the Annex to Resolution 1757 (2007). The panel was established by the UN Secretary-General and was composed of Judge Mohamed Amin El Mahdi (Egypt), who served as judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia from 2001 to 2005, Judge Erik Møse (Norway), currently serving as judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where he was President of the Tribunal from 2003 to 2007, and Mr. Nicolas Michel, the then Legal Counsel of the United Nations.

“I am pleased and honored to be working with a colleague with the calibre of Judge Riachy. His experience in Lebanese law, which is the STL’s applicable law, is invaluable. It is in fact crucial to the success or our work. Having a Vice-President as experienced as Judge Riachy based fulltime in Leidschendam will undoubtedly enhance the Tribunal’s operations”, President Antonio Cassese stated.

President Cassese stressed that it was “important to remember that the STL is a hybrid Tribunal that deals with a crime that occurred in Lebanon and that applies Lebanese law”. Therefore, he added, “this Tribunal has to be guided by the joint efforts of an international Judge and a Lebanese Judge.”
Prior to the assumption of his duties at the STL on 8 June 2009, Judge Riachy was the President of the Criminal Chamber at the Supreme Court of Lebanon from December 1995 to June 2009.

Judge Riachy began his long and distinguished career in the Lebanese justice system as a defense lawyer (1971-1973). From 1976 to 1981, he served as Counselor at the Service des Avis et des Consultations at the Lebanese Ministry of Justice. He was the President of the Commerce Tribunal in Beirut from 1981 to 1992. From 1992 to 1993, he served as General Advocate at the Financial Public Prosecutor’s Department. From 1993 to 1995, he served as President of the Court of Appeal of Mount Lebanon. Judge Riachy’s career also includes his election as a Judge Ad-Litem at the International Tribunal for Ex-Yugoslavia in 2000. He also served as President of the Judges’ Disciplinary Council and as member of the Lebanese Magistracy Superior Council until December 2008.

Throughout his career, Judge Riachy served also as a Law Professor, including on Criminal Procedures, at the Faculty of Law at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, the Faculty of Law at the Université du Saint Esprit de Kaslik and Institut Supérieur de la Magistrature of Beirut. He was also the President of the Alumni of Law and Economical Science Faculty at St Joseph University.

Judge Riachy is a published author in national and international judicial and academic magazines and journals of several articles on commercial (trade), civil and criminal law. His publications include “Solutions for Problems in the Grand-Jury Court”, “Comparative Studies on Juvenile Laws in Arab Countries” and “L’accès du Citoyen à la Norme de Droit au Liban.”

For Further information, please contact Ms. Suzan Khan, Press Officer & Spokesperson: khan32@un.org