Local voices in internationalised justice: The experience of civil parties at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

The experience of civil parties participating in Case
002 at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts
of Cambodia (ECCC) provides important insights
into victim participation in a mass atrocity trial.
Understanding the expectations of civil parties and
evaluating their experience so far will help us to
improve victim support at future cases at the ECCC
and other internationalised courts.
This report presents the findings from interviews with
civil parties at the beginning of Case 002/01. It uses a
qualitative methodology grounded in thematic analysis
and identifies key themes constructed and defined
from the responses of civil parties.
The report examines the following themes: what
makes justice meaningful and satisfactory for civil
parties; their goals for participating; the emotional
consequences of application and participation; the
impact of limited resources for victims; how civil
parties understand the trial and participation process
and their thoughts on moral and collective reparations.
The report then draws some lessons learned, including
the need for education concerning fair trial rights, calls
for a strategy for communication regarding reparations
and proposes different ways to maximise the impact of
attendance.
It also identifies a gap regarding psycho-social support
at the application stage and calls for a general strategy
for updates and support to civil parties despite the
funding limitations. Finally, the report concludes with
areas for future research.