2007年VOA标准英语-Lawyers' Fees Dispute for Khmer Rouge Tribunal

By Rory Byrne
Phnom Penh
01 May 2007

Rouge1 genocide trial proceedings2 in Phnom Penh (File)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070604/0817310.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Cambodian and foreign judges meet to try to hammer out their disagreement over internal rules for Khmer Rouge genocide trial proceedings in Phnom Penh (File)

The Cambodian Bar Association and international judges have agreed on the fees to be charged foreign defense³ lawyers in the coming trials of the former leaders of the Khmer Rouge. A dispute over the fees had threatened to derail the long-awaited trials. Rory Byrne reports from Phnom Penh.

After weeks of behind-the-scenes discussions, the Cambodian Bar Association has agreed to greatly reduce the fees it will charge foreign defense lawyers taking part in the tribunal. The decision opens the way to try former Khmer Rouge leaders, responsible for the deaths of almost two million Cambodians in the late 1970's.

Originally, the bar association had demanded that foreign lawyers pay a fee of $4,900  to join the association.

The tribunal's international judges said the fees were too high and there was a risk of mistrials because defendants⁵ could claim they were denied their legal right to the lawyer of their choice. The bar association, however, said the fees were fair in light of the salaries foreign lawyers will earn at the trial.

Now, the bar association has agreed to charge foreign lawyers a fee of $500.

Helen Jarvis is the spokeswoman for the tribunal, officially known as the Extraordinary Chambers⁶ in the Courts of Cambodia:

"Lots of people made their opinions known to the bar association, and to other people, both from governments, diplomats⁷, lawyers and NGOs, and many observers seemed to think that the previous fee was too high, and in the end the bar council reconsidered it," she said. "I think that we should accept what they've said, that they believe that it's the best way forward and they don't want to stand in the way."

The international judges have declared they were satisfied with the new charges, which they said would not block international lawyers from registering with the Cambodian bar.

"I think we have to bear in mind that this is a national court and normally in a national court a lawyer would need to be a member of the national bar association and would have to pay a fee, and in different countries that varies, but it's usually some hundreds of dollars," added Jarvis. "So I don't think the $500 is by any means out of sync with normal national fees."

The United Nations, rights groups and the Cambodian government have worked for nearly a decade to create a tribunal to try the Khmer Rouge leaders. Funding shortages and disputes over the composition of the court delayed the effort, leading many activists⁸ to fear that the aging Maoists will die before they face justice.

All of the main disagreements have now been resolved. A plenary session to adopt the court's internal rules has been scheduled for the end of May. After that, legal proceedings can begin. However, the first defendant⁴ is not expected to appear before a judge until early next year.

1 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

2 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

5 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

6 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

7 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》