The Challenge to the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic Delivering on its 'Defence' Promise.

This article focuses on the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in the Central African Republic (CAR), established as a hybrid tribunal to combat impunity for serious crimes while strengthening local justice capacities, particularly defence rights. It examines the SCC’s innovative creation of the Corps spécial d'avocats ('Special Body of Defence and Victims Lawyers') and related training efforts aimed at ensuring fair trial standards, assessing their effectiveness through the Court’s inaugural trial—the Paoua case. The analysis reveals significant structural and resource challenges that hindered the Defence’s ability to operate on equal footing with the Prosecution, including limited financial support, restricted investigative capacity, and judicial shortcomings in safeguarding accused persons’ rights. While the SCC has taken steps to improve Defence support, ongoing financial instability and institutional constraints raise concerns about its capacity to consistently uphold international fair trial standards. The article concludes that a robust Defence is essential not only for fair trials but also for strengthening the rule of law and justice system development in CAR beyond the SCC’s mandate.