Law and judiciary
Legal and judicial system
Thy Sovantha threatens new suit
Social media celebrity and card-carrying CPP member Thy Sovantha yesterday said she will file a lawsuit against wildlife NGO head Suwanna Gauntlett alleging discrimination after the latter allegedly denied her access to an ecotourism program the group is launching today in Koh Kong province. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/thy-sovantha-threatens-new-suit
Cases against CNRP are making progress
Court cases and investigations involving former Cambodia National Rescue Party officials are continuing apace, with new charges laid against opposition leader Sam Rainsy, another appeal for bail filed on behalf of jailed party leader Kem Sokha and a National Police spokesman saying yesterday that the ...
Ben Sokhean, Erin Handley and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cases-against-cnrp-are-making-progress
Three activists charged for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for Ley funeral
Three prominent civil society members have been charged with “breach of trust” for allegedly misappropriating funds raised for slain political activist Kem Ley’s funeral, despite the fact that nobody in Ley’s family filed a complaint. ...
Andrew Nachemson and Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/three-activists-charged-allegedly-misappropriating-funds-meant-ley-funeral
Australian filmmaker Ricketson’s bail bid delayed
Australian filmmaker James Ricketson, who has spent more than seven months in Cambodian prison on allegations of “espionage”, had a ruling on his final bid for bail delayed at the Supreme Court today. ...
Erin Handley and Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/australian-filmmaker-ricketsons-bail-bid-delayed
CPP official called up as witness in Kem Sokha case
Cambodian People’s Party spokesman Chhim Phal Virun has been called as a witness in the controversial “treason” case against jailed opposition leader Kem Sokha. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/cpp-official-called-witness-kem-sokha-case
Ex-deputy PM Lay Sreng called in to court for defamation
Former Deputy Prime Minister Lu Lay Sreng, who has been abroad since October, has been summonsed to appear in Phnom Penh Municipal Court for a defamation hearing on January 25. Lay Sreng, 77, was sued for defamation by his former party, Funcinpec, and Prime Minister ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ex-deputy-pm-lay-sreng-called-court-defamation
Analyst Kim Sok's bail request denied at Supreme Court
Outspoken government critic Kim Sok was rejected bail at the Supreme Court this morning, with the prosecutor arguing that to grant Sok early release from an 18-month prison sentence would cause “chaos” in society. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/analyst-kim-soks-bail-request-denied-supreme-court
Jailed ex-RFA reporters to appeal detention at Supreme Court
The defence lawyer for two former Radio Free Asia reporters will file an appeal with the Supreme Court tomorrow challenging their detention on charges of “espionage”. The Appeal Court upheld their pre-trial detention last week. ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/jailed-ex-rfa-reporters-appeal-detention-supreme-court
Ex-Beehive leader Sonando called in Kem Sokha case
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. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/ex-beehive-leader-sonando-called-kem-sokha-case
Court upholds decision to deny bail for RFA duo
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. ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/court-upholds-decision-deny-bail-rfa-duo
UN pledges $8 million to ECCC
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. ...
Ros Chanveasna
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5098129/un-pledges-8-million-eccc/
Sokha laywers snub questions
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. ...
Ben Sokhean
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sokha-laywers-snub-questions
Tycoon denies timber accusations in Mondulkiri
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 ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/tycoon-denies-timber-accusations-mondulkiri
Sokha questioned on family’s private lives
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”. ...
Ben Sokhean and Leonie Kijewski
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/sokha-questioned-familys-private-lives
Violent criminals among pardonees
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. ...
Niem Chheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/violent-criminals-among-pardonees
Journalists call for release of former RFA staff
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. ...
Mom Sophon
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5091112/journalists-call-release-former-rfa-staff/
Interior Ministry puts provinces on high alert ahead of CNRP court date
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng yesterday issued an order demanding that all provincial governors create a “standby working group” to monitor the political situation in anticipation of unrest following the opposition party’s potential dissolution later this week. ...
Former SRP senator Sok Hour receives pardon after serving more than two years in jail
After serving more than 800 days of a seven-year prison sentence on charges of “incitement” and “forgery”, former opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour was released last night, following an unexpected royal pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni. ...
Kong Meta, Andrew Nachemson and Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/former-srp-senator-sok-hour-receives-pardon-after-serving-more-two-years-jail
Chea Sim bodyguard appeals sentence
A former senior army official and head of the late Chea Sim’s bodyguard unit yesterday appealed to the Supreme Court to once again reduce his jail time for a raft of crimes including embezzlement, weapons possession, breach of trust and forgery. ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/chea-sim-bodyguard-appeals-sentence
Heng Pov asks for fast appeal
Disgraced former Phnom Penh Municipal Police Chief Heng Pov yesterday called for a speedy appeal trial before the Supreme Court in two of his cases – which relate to the possession of fake currency and to the illegal detention of a suspect – despite lamenting ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/heng-pov-asks-fast-appeal
Party leader files suit over misuse of funds
Cambodia Youth Party leader Pich Sros filed a lawsuit on Friday against activist monk But Buntenh and Pa Nguon Teang, founder of the Cambodian Centre for Independent Media, accusing the pair of embezzling money from the late Kem Ley’s funeral fund. ...
Andrew Nachemson and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/party-leader-files-suit-over-misuse-funds
Supreme Court: Commune chief denied bail in Poipet
The Supreme Court yesterday rejected a bail application for Poipet Commune Chief Chao Veasna, who has been in pretrial detention since February for his alleged role in a protest that turned violent outside the border town’s customs office in 2015. ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/supreme-court-commune-chief-denied-bail-poipet
Legal aid budget to rise by half
The government is to give the Bar Association a 50 percent boost in the legal aid budget by 2018 to pay lawyers who defend the poor for free. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5080576/legal-aid-budget-rise-half/
Commercial arbitration body settles its first two cases
The National Commercial Arbitration Center (NCAC) has settled its first two cases, marking the first time in Cambodia for commercial disputes to be resolved using an independent arbitration panel instead of the country’s court system. ...
Robin Spiess
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/commercial-arbitration-body-settles-its-first-two-cases