The Senegalese judge was dismissed in May for “misconduct” after attempting to voice his dissenting opinion the day the judgment was handed down, on April 26. As an alternate judge, Malick Sow did not have a vote, nor a right to dissent. He nevertheless tried to publicly state his concerns that the evidence against Charles Taylor did not reach the threshold necessary for conviction. “My only worry is that the whole system is not consistent with all the principles we know and love and the system is not consistent with all the values of International criminal justice, and I am afraid the whole system is under grave danger of just losing all credibility”, he declared.
On July 19, Taylor’s lawyers filed a motion requesting the voluntary withdrawal or disqualification of Appeals Chamber judges from his appeals hearing. They asked for a new appeal panel composed of judges who did not participate in the decision and sanction against Judge Sow.
Former Liberian President was sentenced on May 16 to 50 years in jail for crimes against humanity and war crimes. The date for the appeal trial has not been set yet.
SM/ER/GF