Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Sen created a special task force to review irregularities in criminal cases in current judiciary courts after getting request from Ministry of Interior last month. Forming new independent judicial system is to weed out irregularities of releasing suspects.

There are 26-member panel designed to investigate the irregular cases that judges and other court officials are suspected t have mishandled.

Ith Rady, an under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, has been appointed to head the body. Deputy National Police Commissioner Kang Sokhan and Deputy National Military Police Commander Sin Sophany have also been appointed as deputy chairmen.

Prime Minister said that the new task force, to be staffed with police and Justice Ministry officials, would be able to copy case file in order to inspect, analyzed and evaluate the courts conducts in specific cases, according to the letter dated September 4.

These must be reported to the head of the Royal Government for review and recommendation, in any instance of case files involving serious conditions or complications.

Sam Rainsy was quoted by the Post as saying that the task force duplicated and effectively sidelined the nine-member Supreme Council of the Magistracy (SCM), which is constitutionally charged with protecting the courts’ independence. “By dealing a blow to the … Supreme Council of the Magistracy, this is dealing a blow to the Constitution itself,” he said.

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