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Power And Perception: The Special Tribunal For Lebanon, Melia Amal Bouhabib

Melia Amal Bouhabib

On March 1, 2009, the long-anticipated Special Tribunal for Lebanon finally opened its doors. The STL has been hailed as a triumph against impunity and “a decisive milestone” in the quest for justice. Nonetheless, the Tribunal has been fraught with complications since the outset and faces significant challenges as it forges ahead. The use of Chapter VII powers to impose the Tribunal coupled with an exceedingly narrow mandate relying solely on domestic law, has led to criticisms that the Tribunal is impartial, and at the worst, illegal. Moreover, with a contentious history of U.N. involvement, including an extensive and controversial …