Taylor trial highlights three main shortcomings of international courts , says Phil Clark . The first is that they are not independent and impartial enough to be trusted with the task of trying war criminals in a country where there has been no peace for decades. Clark : Taylor trial suffered from the narrowness of the charges against him . Second , the Taylor trial suffered -- as all international criminal cases do -- from the narrowness of the charges against him . Clark : Taylor trial weakened by distance of trial from location and victims of his crimes .
Taylor trial highlights three main shortcomings of international courts , says Phil Clark . The first is that they are not independent and impartial enough to be trusted with the task of trying war criminals in a country where there has been no peace for decades. Clark : Taylor trial suffered from the narrowness of the charges against him . Clark : Taylor trial weakened by distance of trial from location and victims of his crimes .