On 13 August, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) brought together their Cambodian staff for a retreat. Twenty-five Khmer staff, our Cambodian Program Officer, and two Legal Interns joined Mr. Sanjeewa Liyanage, the International Program Director, for a day of team-building and discussion. The retreat was designed to bring everyone together to reflect on the values of IBJ as a shared community and to provide a forum to discuss the challenges and successes faced by the criminal justice system in Cambodia.
IBJ staffers were first invited to tell their personal stories. This provided everyone with an opportunity to share their values and principles as lived experiences, and discuss why they entered the legal profession. Mr. Vandeth set a benchmark by sharing his life story: growing up in Cambodia, his career as a police officer, and finally his life as a criminal lawyer. The staff followed with an overwhelming enthusiasm to share their own stories and critical choice points.
The second session discussed IBJ as a community of lawyers and human rights defenders within Cambodia. Values of human dignity, the importance of sustainability and the desire to eliminate torture were all reoccurring themes we collectively harbour.
The discussion then moved to the challenges currently facing the Cambodian criminal justice system. A common theme was the lack of education and understanding about the legal justice system. Even more apparent was the lack of understanding of the role of a lawyer. This concerning issue was raised by one of our Phnom Penh lawyers, Ms. Pheak. She noted that it was common for police officers to inform people of their rights to a lawyer upon arrest. Further, Ms. Pheak stated that a judge may inform a person of their right to a lawyer only at the time of trial. However, she often comes across cases where the right to a lawyer was refused for no other reason than that person was unaware of what a lawyer is or how a lawyer may be able to help.
Another issue IBJ lawyers commonly face relates to witnesses. Our lawyers were in common agreement that it was very difficult to find reliable or credible witnesses to corroborate a client’s story. Witnesses are often unwilling to attend a trial due to financial constraints, or simply a belief that it is not their trial. If a witness does agree to give a statement during a trial, they often change their minds about giving evidence at the last minute, or worse, by changing their stories.
Most importantly, the day reinforced the strong sense of community among the attendees. The IBJ provincial offices are remote, and all face daily, distinct challenges. The sense of community reminded them that they are supported not only by Phnom Penh, but by IBJ as an international support network.
*Kate Flower is a volunteer with the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) Program. The AYAD Program is part of Australian Volunteers for International Development, an Australian Government, AusAID initiative.