This book examines the creation and operation of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of
Cambodia (ECCC) which is a hybrid domestic international tribunal tasked with putting senior
leaders of the Khmer Rouge on trial. It argues that the ECCC should be considered an example of
illiberal transitional justice where the language of procedure is strongly adhered to but
political considerations often rule in reality. The Cambodian government spent nearly two
decades addressing the Khmer Rouge past and shaping its preferred narrative before the
involvement of the United Nations. It was a further six years of negotiations between the
Cambodian government and the United Nations that determined the unique hybrid structure of the
ECCC. Over more than a decade in operation and with three people convicted the ECCC has not
contributed to the positive goals expected of transitional justice mechanisms. Through the
Cambodian example this book challenges existing assumptions and analyses of transitional
justice to create a more nuanced understanding of how and why transitional justice mechanisms
are employed.
