1 White man's justice? Sierra Leone and the expanding project of international law 1
An expanding project 3
International justice and the politics of culture 8
Studying culture in international trials 17
A history of the conflict and overview of this hook 25
2 The story of the CDF trial 36
The prosecution case 38
The defence case 48
Closing arguments 56
The death of the first accused 59
Judgment and appeal 60
Conclusions 69
3 An unconventional army: chains of command in a patrimonial society 71
Superior responsibility in international law 72
Authority and society in Sierra Leone 74
Superior responsibility in the CDF trial 80
Judgment and conclusions 95
4 Facts, metaphysics and mysticism: magical powers and the law 105
Magic and the occult in Sierra Leone 105
Magic and the law in colonial and post-colonial Africa 113
Magic and the occult in the CDF trial 121
Judgment and conclusions 140
5 We cannot accept any cultural consideration: the child soldiers charge 146
Pre-trial proceedings 147
Conceptions of childhood in southern Sierra Leone 151
Childhood and community in international law 155
Child soldiers in the CDF trial 159
Judgment and conclusions 168
6 'He's not very forthright': finding the facts in a culture of secrecy 171
Secrecy and ambiguity in Sierra Leone 171
Problems with evidence at the CDF trial 180
Conclusions 223
7 Cultural issues in the RUF, AFRC and Charles Taylor trials 225
Superior responsibility 227
Child soldiers 229
Witness credibility 231
Forced marriage 243
Conclusions 254
8 Conclusion: from legal imperialism to dialogics 256
Practical reforms 257
Normative issues 258
Epistemological quandaries 260
Pluralistic accountability for post-conflict societies 263
References 268
Index 285