VOA标准英语2009-UN Prosecutors Seek to Limit Taylor's Contac

By Scott Stearns
Dakar
11 November 2009

 
Liberian President Charles Taylor in court (file photo)
U.N. prosecutors² at the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor want to limit his access to defense³ lawyers during cross-examination.  Taylor's lawyers say that would violate his right to counsel.

Lead Prosecutor¹ Brenda Hollis wants the U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone to restrict Taylor's communication with defense counsel during her cross-examination.

"It is very important that this phase of the examination not be susceptible⁴ to rehearsal⁵ or other preparation," she said.

Lead Defense Counsel Courtenay Griffiths says prosecutors apparently⁶ fear Taylor's attorneys may affect the truthfulness⁷ of his responses during cross-examination.

"The particular mischief⁸ to which my learned friend's application is addressed is the suggestion that whether directly or inadvertently contact between the accused and his counsel might in some way either coach or influence the content of his testimony⁹," Griffiths said. "That is the mischief at which it is aimed."

Taylor is pleading not guilty to an 11-count indictment¹⁰ that includes murder, rape¹¹, enslavement, and conscription of child soldiers during Sierra Leone's civil war. While President of Liberia, prosecutors say Taylor acted as the effective leader of the Sierra Leonean rebel group the Revolutionary United Front.

Taylor has spent most of the past 13 weeks on the stand dismissing the prosecution¹² case as a series of lies. With cross-examination now under way, prosecutors say they intend to challenge the accuracy, truthfulness, and completeness of Taylor's testimony.

And for that they say he should not be coached in court by his lawyers. If defense counsel needs to communicate with Taylor on other issues, Hollis wants judges to order that they must first notify the court.

"It may be that other matters arise that would require consultation¹³ between defense counsel and the accused - matters not related to the accused's testimony such as the request for instructions or guidance relating to other aspects of the case, " Hollis noted¹⁴, "perhaps relating to other witnesses, other evidence that the defense may choose or try to bring before the court in the future."

Hollis says she is not asking that defense lawyers disclose the content of their discussions with Taylor, simply the subject matter that they intend to discuss.

Griffiths says even that notice denies Taylor attorney-client privilege.

"The difficulty with notice is that such notice runs up against the brick wall of legal professional privilege," Griffiths said. "That is the difficulty because how is such notice to be provided without lifting the veil of legal professional privilege, which even in these courts exists between a defendant¹⁵ and his lawyers?"

Justice Richard Lussick ordered prosecutors to make a written submission¹⁶ of their request Thursday and the defense to file a written response by next Monday. Until then, he says Taylor's access to counsel will be the same as during direct examination.

"In the mean time, the normal access that has been applicable between the accused and his counsel shall continue," Lussick said. "And of course the caution shall continue to be administered everyday that the accused is forbidden to discuss his evidence with any other person."

Taylor is the last defendant before the U.N. Special Court. The Freetown session of that court has convicted the last of the Sierra Leonean rebels indicted¹⁷. Taylor's trial is being held in The Hague because of concerns that his supporters might disrupt proceedings¹⁸ in West Africa.

1 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

2 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

5 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 truthfulness   

n. 符合实际

参考例句：

• Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness. 她有许多的美德，如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
• I fired a hundred questions concerning the truthfulness of his statement. 我对他发言的真实性提出一连串质问。

8 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

9 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

10 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

11 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

12 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

13 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

16 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

17 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

18 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼