The Binnenhof, The Hague: April..
The Dutch have never seen anything like it. For the past few days the streets of this rather conservative city have been the backdrop for the biggest spectacle ever to take place here, The Earth War Crimes' Panel.
Over the coming months, possibly years, the local residents will have to share their town with lawyers, soldiers, clerks, the accused, the defendants, the prosecutors and an army of witnesses, the media and the casual observer. In other words the whole paraphernalia that will accompany the biggest series of trials ever to take place in human history.
Under the provisions of The Planetary Securities Act, the UNWG Interim Government selected Den Haag (The Hague) in The Netherlands as the appropriate location
for holding trials of individuals accused of collaboration or war crimes during the Second Venusian War. The War has become known more popularly as the Treen Holocaust
reminiscent of the Nazi scourge of the last century.
The Hague has been home to the International Court of Justice for half a century and before that was the appointed place for peace conferences since 1899. It was here that The League of Nations and its successor the United Nations were founded.
The second Earth-Venusian War has left a different mark from the first. There has been a very different attitude both within the Government and among the peoples of Earth
from the forgiving and conciliatory frame of mind following the First Venusian War. The discovery of Theron allies and our close cousins the Atlantines together with the opening up of food supplies for Earth's hungry contributed a feeling of wellbeing to the victory. The second War has left only an appetite for revenge and retribution.
While these trials may satisfy that basic urge, there are however many critics of the Interim Government and those considered responsible for the lack of preparedness of Earth
when the Mekon launched his invasion. It is this criticism that many feel has led to the draconian clauses in The Planetary Securities Act covering suppression of information,
especially that of the press. This censorship is bitterly resented, not least by the owners, management, editors and journalists of this newspaper.
As a result of these widely held opinions there is a strong body of feeling among critics of the Government that these war trials are no more than "show trials" and are part of
the Government's strategy for deflecting criticism away from itself and other responsible parties.
While that may be true there is no question about the degree of suffering inflicted on the inhabitants of Earth. There are few families that have not lost at least one member either
directly, in the short but bloody war, or through slave labour, research or the brutality of the Treen regime during the long years that followed defeat. For this reason the view of this newspaper is that we must separate the need for redress against the perpetrators of this evil and their accomplices and the issues of Government. On the latter subject we refuse to be silent and will continue to press for the release of secret documents such as The Report of the Numidol Commission: 2012.
The appointment of the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Wells as Chairman of the War Crimes Panel's Supreme Court has in itself been the subject of some controversy. As a close
personal friend of the Prime Minister Lord Stonehill and an active member of the Liberal/Social Democratic Alliance he is not considered sufficiently impartial. Supporters
argue that the due process of law relating to war crimes can in no way be construed along party lines and that Lord Wells' reputation for integrity in his personal and professional life, coupled with his distinguished career, is testament enough to his eligibility as Chairman.
It has been pointed out that the decision on the other 11 members appointed demonstrates that there has been no bias on the part of the World Government.
They are as follows:
Justice Jan van Broek (Dutch), District Attorney James A. Cooper (U.S.A), Advocate General Steffan Jolascyk (United Slavian Republic), Simon Sharppe K.C. (Great Britain), Tomba N'kwana KC (North African Commonwealth), Judge Sylvia Moron II (U.S.N.A), Judge Salem Saleem (The True Islamic Republic), Justice Councillor Galtan (Theronland) Minister of Justice Salan D. (Mekonta) Mrs. Adrienne Powers (independent non-judicial member) and Major Anthony Carson (Spacefleet).
Because of the impracticability of bringing all of the accused to Earth, an identical body working in parallel on Venus will conduct a series of trials for the lesser crimes. The Earth War Crimes Panel will handle only the more serious cases. The members of the Venus war Crimes Panel have yet to be appointed.
It has been estimated that there are over 8,000 Treens, Therons, Earthlings and Atlantines being held in custody awaiting trial. The vast majority of the accused are Treens who were senior representatives of the Mekon on Earth, camp commandants, guards, scientists or simple murderers. Nearly 750 are humans from a variety of countries who have been named as collaborators and if found guilty will receive sentences ranging from capital punishment, external exile, hard labour or life imprisonment. The UNWG has passed temporary legislation that will permit the Panels to impose the death penalty where appropriate as well as long-term custodial sentences.
The trials are expected to start as early as next week if all of the advocates and court staff can be accommodated in time. There will be 9 courts operating simultaneously with the Supreme Court handling crimes of different types and referring "capital" crimes to the Supreme Court for either appeal or judgement. Each court will have a panel of 12, made up of less senior barristers and lawyers than the Supreme Court but being constituted with a similar array of nationalities and 2 lay members. For the purposes of these trials the jury system will be suspended and convictions will be based on a majority. Where there is doubt or an inability of the Panel to come to a clear conclusion it will be referred to the higher court. Along with the suspension of the jury system there will be no system for appeal outside of the War Crimes' Panels with the judgement of the individual Panel or the Supreme Court being final.
The WDP will be covering closely the main cases and providing a daily update in its Legal Section.
to the front page ...