Immunity of Heads of State : Some Critical Remarks on the Decision of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Charles Taylor Case

The article addresses the issue of state immunities enjoyed by Heads of States, when accused of international crimes. In particular it deals with the 2004 Decision of the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, a UN-backed hybrid criminal tribunal sitting in Sierra Leone, ruling that Charles Taylor, the Former President of Liberia, does not enjoy any immunity from prosecution by the Court though he was the serving Head of State of Liberia at the time criminal proceedings were initiated. This historic ruling by the Court is a significant contribution to the modern international law norm asserting that Heads of State and other high-ranking governmental officials are not absolved of criminal responsibility for serious international crimes.