The Gender Jurisprudence of the Special Court for Sierra Leone: Progress in the Revolutionary United Front Judgments

摘要

The Special Court for Sierra Leone's most recent judgments-those in the RUF case-have not been widely examined within international criminal law circles. This article argues that the RUF trial and appeals judgments contain important jurisprudence on gender issues that requires a closer look. This article began by examining how the RUF Trial and Appeals Chambers analyzed the crimes against humanity of rape, sexual slavery, and forced marriage. While the trial judgment explained how the RUF used rape to bring the battlefield to women's and men's bodies, the Trial and Appeals Chambers missed opportunities to clarify the elements of crimes for rape. In contrast, the trial and appeals judgments helped to solidify the elements of crime for and interpretation of sexual slavery. For forced marriage, the RUF judgments provided useful detail on this inhumane act and explained its role within the RUF's ideology.