The United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAET) in East Timor, established by Security Council resolution 1272 (1999), set up a Special Panel at the District Court of Dili to try serious crimes committed during the violence that broke out in September 1999 after the referendum on independence. In Cambodia, the international community has taken the initiative to ensure that the crimes committed under the Khmer Rouge regime do not go unpunished.

After outlining the background to these two decisions, the author takes a closer look at the initial implementation of this new approach which, instead of creating an ad hoc international tribunal, sets up a form of internationalized domestic jurisdiction. However, much remains to be done to bring about a justice system which operates satisfactorily.