Law and judiciary

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court’s decision to keep four officials from rights group Adhoc imprisoned while the court investigates their case was right “according to the law,” a Supreme Court official said on Monday during an appeal hearing. ...

The Mondulkiri Provincial Court is preparing to investigate accusations that Cambodian border officials last month knowingly allowed seven Vietnamese loggers to illegally fell trees in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, a court official said yesterday. ...

With King Norodom Sihamoni out of the country, Senate President and CPP stalwart Say Chhum is set to sign off on controversial new changes to the Law on Political Parties, the last step in what some are calling the final, fatal blow to Cambodia’s democracy. ...

Eurth Ang stood in court yesterday and calmly described how he shot Kem Ley, insisting that it was over an unpaid debt. “I regret and apologize to the victims’ family, but he cheated me which made me angry,” Mr. Ang said. ...

The Supreme Council of the Magistracy decided yesterday to appoint or transfer 82 court officials. According to a statement released by the council and signed by its secretary-general Sam Prachea Manith, the judicial body held a vote yesterday during its 28th session while also discussing 11 ...

Inmates at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh will no longer be able to listen to the radio, according to a social media post by a jailed opposition member, which is an apparent violation of the law. ...

At least three women – one pregnant – and a man were hurt in a clash with security forces at Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday after land rights activist Tep Vanny was jailed for two and a half years over a 2013 protest. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday launched a not-so-thinly-veiled attack on the US over its recent public airing of concerns over the newly amended Law on Political Parties, arguing that its past bombing of Cambodia left it no moral high ground from which to criticise the ...

Cambodia’s already swollen prison population leapt by more than 20 percent last year, according to the Ministry of Interior’s annual report, which acknowledged the influx has caused “serious challenges” with overcrowding, and revealed one-third of inmates are in pre-trial detention. ...

National Police officials have promised tough action against those who sell SIM cards without copying buyers’ national identity cards, saying the practice may have a dangerous impact on society. ...

A lawyer for Eurth Ang, the man accused of murdering political analyst Kem Ley, has asked for his March 1 trial to be delayed because he has not received the case file or spoken to his new client yet. ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has issued a warrant for the temporary seizure of Top World Garment Cambodia Ltd’s property in order to get the employer to appear and find a solution for workers still owed their December salaries. ...

A U.S. congressman on Wednesday called on the CPP to abandon an imminent vote on legislation that would give the Cambodian government sweeping new powers to abolish its political rivals, the same day the U.S. ambassador met with CNRP acting President Kem Sokha to discuss ...

The draft law on the minimum wage for garment and footwear industry workers will be completed and approved this year, according to Labor Minister Ith Samheng. ...

The National Assembly’s Permanent Committee will next week conduct an urgent plenary session to review and adopt the draft amendments to the law on political parties, despite strong requests for a delay from the opposition. ...

The Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld a $25,000 fine for three environmental activists who fled the country after being convicted of threatening to destroy a sand dredging barge in Koh Kong province in 2015. They are now debating returning home, however, after the court ...

Keep out of Cambodia’s internal affairs.This was the message delivered yesterday by Cambodia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn to country director for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Wan-Hea Lee at a meeting to discuss cooperation. ...

Undeterred by the $500,000 lawsuit filed against him by Prime Minister Hun Sen, political commentator Kim Sok returned to the radio waves on Tuesday to say that the government could settle the case against him by releasing video footage of Kem Ley’s murder. ...

Political commentator Kim Sok’s worldly possessions—two iPhones, an iPad and $200 in savings—may soon become Prime Minister Hun Sen’s property after the premier filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the commentator for allegedly claiming that the CPP killed Kem Ley. ...

Two human rights activists, who were summoned to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday over allegations that they incited an attack on two Daun Penh district security guards in October, asked the court to have the real perpetrators arrested. ...

While stakeholders have lauded the government’s move to establish a bond market, in a bid to raise more funds from domestic sources, they, however, expressed concern that not enough has been done to inform the public on how debt security can support government spending. ...

The General Commissariat of National Police has announced it will take legal action against police officers found abusing their positions and demanding money from people at illegal checkpoints. ...

About 100 workers from the Chung Fai Knitwear factory in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district protested in front of the capital’s municipal court yesterday, demanding a judge remove a fee they are unable to pay. ...

Cambodia has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to combat crimes including child and sexual trafficking.   ...