Law and judiciary

Residents of the Boeung Kak community yesterday submitted a petition to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet, asking the premier to seek a royal pardon to release their jailed representative Tep Vanny, and also solve their outstanding land dispute. According to the petition by eight Boeung Kak ...

The Ministry of Cults and Religion has said it will consider lodging a complaint against activist monk But Buntenh following his remarks that Cambodians, including the King, drink contaminated water. Cambodian Youth Party President Pich Sros, who initially had said he was thinking about lodging ...

A set of controversial laws and constitutional amendments was quietly signed by Senate President Say Chhum in place of the King last week, going into effect immediately despite the Justice Ministry previously claiming there would be a promulgation period. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday called on monks to join hands in educating people to respect traffic laws and avoid drug use in order to reduce traffic deaths and drug problems. During a building inauguration at Chey Mongkul pagoda in Kampong Cham province, Mr Hun Sen ...

The Indian government has contributed $50,000 to the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s annual budget requirements.Neth Pheaktra, spokesman of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, said yesterday that India gave $50,000 to the national side of the tribunal for its operations in 2018. ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday ordered a freeze placed on the former headquarters of the Cambodia National Rescue Party in Phnom Penh, warning that the property may be sold to pay fines and compensation incurred by its owner, former party President Sam Rainsy, in ...

Interior Minister Sar Kheng defended plans to create “pay-to-stay” luxury prisons yesterday, claiming the scheme would also help poorer prisoners by reducing overcrowding. ...

Forestry Administration officials and local police on Wednesday intercepted a load of illegal timber in Kampong Speu, but only managed to seize two of the 10 first-grade logs after villagers began to burn the timber – and attempted to do the same to an FA ...

The Senate on Wednesday passed some laws, including an amendment to the Criminal code, which will punish anyone who insults the king with a penalty of one to five years in jail. ...

UN rights experts yesterday urged the government to reconsider constitutional amendments, including a law that forbids insulting the monarchy, saying the changes were too vague and failed to meet international standards. Parliament last week adopted a law that forbids insulting the monarchy, along with other amendments ...

Cambodia’s prison population swelled to more than 28,000 inmates last year – well over the system’s capacity – with Interior Minister Sar Kheng suggesting yesterday that the construction of more luxurious pay-to-stay prison blocks for wealthy inmates could help alleviate the severe overcrowding. ...

A group of 35 international labour and human rights advocacy groups yesterday called for charges against a trio of Cambodian civil society activists to be dropped. “We, the undersigned global unions and international human rights and workers’ rights organizations, call for the charges against Cambodian human ...

Twelve judges and five prosecutors were verbally “disciplined” yesterday during a meeting of the Supreme Council of Magistracy presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni. Sam Prachea Manith, spokesman for the council, declined to name the people singled out. “This is for a small mistake that they forgot ...

About 300 people from 11 provinces gathered at Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet near Wat Botum pagoda yesterday to ask for help in their ongoing dispute with Empire Big Capital Limited, an investment company that cheated thousands of victims out of nearly $60 million. In May ...

A family living in Kratie province’s Snoul district have said they are concerned for their safety following the destruction of their home. Local authorities last week dismantled the home using an excavator because it had been built on state land that is now earmarked for the ...

The National Assembly’s spokesman yesterday dismissed a statement released by the dissolved opposition CNRP criticising an extraordinary session of parliament called this week to pass amendments to the Penal Code and constitution. An extraordinary session was held on Wednesday to discuss and then approve the Penal ...

Local journalists have launched an online campaign calling on the courts to consider dropping charges against two former Radio Free Asia journalists, Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, who were arrested by authorities in November. ...

A representative of villagers in a land dispute in Oddar Meanchey province’s Anlong Veng district was arrested on Wednesday for alleged property damage. Sat Bora, 34, has been representing 122 families in Anlong Veng commune, who have been locked in a land dispute with authorities for ...

The National Assembly unanimously passed amendments to the Constitution and Criminal Code Wednesday that will impose restrictions on political rights and make it illegal to disrespect the King – changes that observers called a “disaster” for civil liberties in the Kingdom. In a full plenary session, ...

Thai and Cambodian authorities met earlier this week to discuss their extradition agreement and strengthen prisoner exchange – a meeting that came just days after Thailand extradited Cambodian refugee Sam Sokha amid concerns about the fate of more than 100 opposition figures who have fled ...

The National Assembly yesterday approved an amendment to the Penal Code allowing prison sentences for anyone insulting the King.An extraordinary session was held yesterday to discuss and then approve the Penal Code amendment, as well as amending five articles of the constitution and a draft ...

Two men were arrested and temporarily detained on Monday in Koh Kong province after authorities discovered 34 marijuana plants being grown illegally in the gardens in front of their homes, police said yesterday. ...

Six officials have filed a complaint to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court asking for their Funcinpec membership to be reinstated after they were removed from the party by its leader, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, at the end of last month. ...

Two Mother Nature activists, who were released from prison yesterday, said they had been “robbed” of their freedom for the past five months after being arrested for documenting suspected illegal sand-bearing vessels in Koh Kong without evidence that they had committed a crime.​ ...