Trial Chamber

Biographical Sketches of the Judges in the Trial Chamber Mr. Nil Nonn Nil Nonn (Cambodia)is the President of the Trial Chamber of the ECCC. Since 1993, he has served as the President of the Battambang Court. Mr. Nonn obtained a Bachelor of Law degree from Ho Chi Minh City University in Vietnam. He has received additional training in international and human rights law through a course provided by the United Nations Development Program. In addition to Khmer, he speaks English and Vietnamese. Ms. Silvia Cartwright Dame Silvia Cartwright (New Zealand)graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Otago University in 1967. After several years in private practice, she embarked on a judicial career which culminated in her appointment as the first woman in New Zealand to the High Court. Internationally, Dame Silvia contributed as a member of the UN committee monitoring compliance with the UN Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1989 and Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001. Mr. Thou Mony Thou Mony (Cambodia) has been a Judge on Cambodia’s Court of Appeals since 1991. Mr. Mony obtained a Master of Arts in Law from the University of Leipzig in Germany. He has received additional training in international and human rights law through a course provided by the United Nations Development Program. In addition to Khmer, he is fluent in German. Mr. Jean-Marc Lavergne Jean- Marc Lavergne (France) completed his higher education at the Clermont-Ferrand Law School, and received his Masters in Private Law and Public Notary Certification in 1983. In 1988 after completing his magistracy studies, he was appointed to the High Civil Court of Angers as Parole Judge (Juge de l’application des Peines au Tribunal de Grande Instance). In 1997 he was appointed Presiding Judge (Conseiller) at the Criminal Appeals Court of Loire Atlantique and Morbihan, a Chamber within the Rennes Court of Appeals. Since 2001, he serves as Vice-President of the High Civil Court of Mans. Mr. Ya Sokhan Ya Sokhan (Cambodia) has been a judge on the Banteay Meanchey Court since 1992. Mr. Sokhan obtained a Master of Arts in Law from the University of Metchnikov, in the former Soviet Union. He has received additional training in international and human rights law through a course provided by the UN Development Program. In addition to Khmer, he is fluent in Russian. Reserve Judges Mr. You Ottara You Ottara (Cambodia) obtained a Master's Degree in Jurisprudence from Kazakhstan National University in 1995. He has worked in the Ministry of Justice as Official of the Department of Criminal and Civil Affairs (1995-1996), Bureau Chief in charge of ASEAN and International Cooperation (1996-2001), Judge and Director of the International Affairs Department (2001-2002). Since 2002, he serves as Judge of the Supreme Court. He has conducted research in national and international law and participated in many programs and conferences relating to law issues. He is fluent in Khmer, English and Russian. Ms. Claudia Fenz Dr. Claudia Fenz (Austria) holds a Doctorate of Law from the University of Vienna. In 1984 she was appointed judge in the domestic criminal justice system, holding judicial office for over 20 years in investigation, trial and appeals courts. In 2005, she was appointed an international judge with the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, dealing with organized crime, serious ethnically-motivated crime and war crimes. She then served as Head of the Rule of Law section within the EUPOLCOPPS Mission in Palestine, which provides support to the Palestinian criminal justice sector (2006-2008).