HOT OFF THE PRESS

HOT OFF THE PRESS !
2nd Edition, 4th Printing of the Fair Trial Handbook
of the Court Watch Project in accordance with new Code of Criminal Procedure

PHNOM PENH, 17 October 2008 – The Center for Social Development (CSD) is pleased to announce the availability of 15,000 newly-printed copies of the CSD Fair Trial Handbook (2nd Edition) for public dissemination and consumption.

This 2nd Edition of the Handbook incorporates new provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure adopted in August 2007, comments and suggestions from the average readers and court officials, and full color illustrations (by CSD’s renowned cartoonists Mr. SAM Sarath and Mr. SEN Samondara) which are found on almost every page.
The Fair Trial Handbook simply and adeptly introduces the average Cambodian to the domestic court structure. It explains the main actors in criminal proceedings, and what is meant by “rule of law” and “fair trial rights” in light of national and international instruments recognized by Cambodia, principally the Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).  Although created with the average Cambodian in mind – light in text, color photos, clever illustrations, and attractive presentation – the Handbook has been and continues to be useful for the legal practitioners in ministries, Parliament, courts, and civil society.

We are deeply heartened by the generous outpouring of support and appreciation for this Handbook – from Parliamentarians, court presidents and other judicial officers, law enforcement and military officers, university students, human rights workers, villagers attending CSD public forums on “Justice & National Reconciliation” and civil party seminar participants – and we are delighted to make another 15,000 copies freely available to the public.  This Handbook, fully in Khmer and in English, is the 4th printing, totaling 22,500 copies.

CSD is proud of the staff on the Court Watch Project (CWP) who put this Handbook together. CSD is also grateful to USAID for funding this publication and the CWP generally, first via The Asia Foundation (2003-05) and then EWMI (2006-present).  The CSD Legal Unit has 20 staff with a law degree and many of them monitor 9 courts on a daily basis; their works are compiled in the quarterly Court Watch Bulletin.

http://www.csdcambodia.org “Legal Unit:  Court Watch Project”

For more information, please contact:
–    Ms. Theary C. SENG, executive director                                     012.222.552, theary@csdcambodia.org
–    Mr. IM Sophea, deputy executive director                                  016.888.552, sopheaim@csdcambodia.org
–    Ms. PEN Rany, head of Legal Unit                                               017.702.763, rany@csdcambodia.org
–    Ms. CHOU Vineath, manager of Court Watch Project                012.554.828, vineath@csdcambodia.org