Law and judiciary

Interior Minister Sar Kheng announced yesterday that he would introduce an amendment to the Constitution banning individuals from doing “anything to impact the national interests” of Cambodia, singling out ex-opposition figure Kem Monovithya as an example. ...

Radio broadcaster and former Beehive Party President Mam Sonando was served a summons last week by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to appear as a witness in relation to a “treason” case filed against former opposition President Kem Sokha. ...

Daun Penh district authorities have ordered a group of Kandal market vendors to move in the hopes of reopening a street that has blocked vehicular traffic for many years. ...

Ruling Cambodian People’s Party member Yin Bunnang will take the seat of recently deceased lawmaker Im Sethy, representing Kampong Cham province, the National Assembly announced yesterday. The assembly also selected a lawmaker to replace Sethy on the justice commission. ...

Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) boss Om Yentieng has said the Kingdom’s whistleblower and witness protection draft law was nearly complete, while at the same time lashing out at Transparency International Cambodia for not assisting in the process, something the group flatly denied. ...

The Appeal Court yesterday upheld a decision by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court earlier this month to deny bail for two former Radio Free Asia reporters accused of “espionage”, with the pair’s lawyer calling the decision unfair. ...

The United Nations will provide a $8 million subvention to support the 2018 operations of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, which is tasked with the prosecution of the country’s former Khmer Rouge commanders.   ...

A trove of documents left behind by law enforcement officials at a recently shuttered cockfighting ring allegedly owned by the nephew-in-law of Hun Sen appears to show organised payments to police and government officials across Kandal province. ...

Jailed opposition leader Kem Sokha’s lawyers yesterday boycotted the questioning of their client on “treason” charges at Trapaing Phlong Prison to protest the judge’s decision not to question him at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.​ ...

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng held a meeting with other top ministry officials yesterday to discuss introducing a legal amendment banning insults to the King, similar to so-called “lèse-majesté” laws in Thailand, which critics have characterised as a cudgel to suppress dissent. ...

At least 2 hectares of flooded mangrove forest in Koh Kong’s Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary have been filled in with sand from illegal dredging nearby, with local authorities and an NGO yesterday claiming an unidentified “powerful” tycoon was behind the environmental crimes. ...

CPP lawmaker Sar Sokha has denied any involvement in the timber trade in Prey Veng province after a depot owner used his name and that of Prime Minister Hun Sen to threaten local journalists. ...

Police in Takeo province burned more than 6,300 marijuana plants on Saturday. Authorities discovered the illegal marijuana plantation in Kirivong district after villagers tipped off local police.  ...

After ignoring summonses for two months, a prominent timber tycoon accused of illegally trading luxury-grade wood in Mondulkiri province appeared at court to deny his involvement in the case.​ Sam Ol was summonsed on October 12 to testify after the authorities’ anti-logging task force found ...

Jailed former opposition leader Kem Sokha was questioned by a judge in prison yesterday, according to his lawyers, who classified the questioning as “aggressive” and “inappropriate”. ...

A Labour Ministry official has said the law on the minimum wage will come into force in the first quarter of 2018, provided there are no more objections from stakeholders. ...

A lawyer for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces filed a complaint accusing former opposition leader Sam Rainsy of “incitement” yesterday, despite Prime Minister Hun Sen vowing on Wednesday to sue his long-time political opponent for “treason”. ...

Among the 50 prisoners who were pardoned or received sentence reductions for the Water Festival this year, several were convicted of serious crimes, such as rape, murder and human trafficking, according to a review of the roster included in the most recent Royal Book. ...

Nearly 1,500 people died from traffic accidents in the Kingdom during the first 10 months of this year, a minor increase over last year, though the number of injured fell significantly, according to a report by the Ministry of Interior’s National Committee for Road Safety ...

An early draft of amendments to the Labour Law appears to expand the use of short-term contracts, a move criticised by labour activists and unionists, and one which directly contradicts recent recommendations made by Prime Minister Hun Sen. ...

A year after a local technology company introduced new software to combat financial crime in Cambodia, four banks have started using the system to fight against money laundering and terrorism financing, the company’s executive said yesterday. ...

Cambodia has asked the United States to delay the deportation of some of its citizens convicted of crimes in the US due to serious sicknesses and to wait until they get treatment. ...

A group of local journalists have written an open letter calling for the release of former Radio Free Asia journalists Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, who were arrested earlier this month. ...

A prominent Vietnamese timber trader was arrested and put in pre-trial detention for the second time this year after some two tonnes of rosewood allegedly connected to her were discovered in Oddar Meanchey province, authorities said yesterday. ...