The lesson of Slobodan Milosevic's trial and tribulation

摘要

The trial of Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia's former strongman, had its first anniversary this week, but the only person who seemed in a mood to celebrate was the defendant himself. Mr Milosevic may be facing 66 separate charges of the gravest crimes imaginable, including genocide, at the UN'S war-crimes tribunal in The Hague, but he appears to be enjoying himself nevertheless. Berating or bullying prosecution witnesses with relish, and peppering the judges with objections, he has turned his right to act as his own lawyer into a bravura performance.