– Abstract
The Iraqi Special Tribunal – a new court created by the occupation authorities to judge the crimes of the regime of Saddam Hussein has passed its first judgments and the first accused have been executed. It is now time to answer whether the trials of the former dictator and his supporters are an example of the victory of justice or of its failure. For this purpose, it has to be examined whether the tribunal is legal, impartial, and independent, whether its structure and procedure are clear, transparent and compliant with the principles of international criminal law and whether all judicial guarantees of the accused are respected.
