Your questions to Courtenay Griffiths QC
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Men accused of police, IRA members convicted of a aimed at the UK Prime Minister and now Charles Taylor. For thirty years Courtenay Griffiths QC has made his name as a leading barrister who's prepared to defend the notorious. On Wednesday he'll be taking your calls and questions on WHYS.Ìý
Mr Griffiths has been called one of the most influential people in British law, he's outspoken on a range of issues and is now lead counsel for the first African leader to be tried for war crimes.Ìý
Charles Taylor stands accused of 11 counts of terrorism, murder, rape and torture. Those of you who listened to the programmes broadcast from Sierra Leone in December will remember all too well the details of the civil war. The former leader of Liberia is charged with arming and directing rebel groups from the neighbouring country in order to take control of Sierra Leone's diamond fields. ÌýCharges Mr Taylor denies.
The court case is by no means over but you'd have already seen the headlines, particularly when Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow testified. At the time Courtenay Griffiths was noted for his flamboyant style, one newspaper even printed a list of his "killer put-downs."Ìý
Mr Griffiths QC says he also wants to change the public prejudice in defending Mr Taylor.Ìý
"The morality of Charles Taylor is none of my business. That's between him and his God, whichever God he chooses to worship. My job is to present his case in court. I'm certainly not going to be making moral judgements about any of my clients. I've defended, for example, terrorists - but to make a moral judgement about such defendants is to forget that, you know, one man's terrorist is another man's war hero."
At present the vast majority of cases brought to are against Africans, Mr Griffiths would like to see a more even playing field.ÌýÌý"There's an unbalanced application of international law against African leaders...If Blair came to The Hague I'd switch sides and do some prosecuting."Ìý
Originally from Jamaica, growing up in England Mr Griffiths is also very outspoken about racism. Ìý
"One of the first times I went to court in south London, I arrived in court suited and booted, brief in my briefcase - only to be told: 'Oh, the defendants sit at the back of the court sir'.Ìý"Meaning, because I was black, I had to be awaiting a charge, or had to be up on a charge. I couldn't conceivably be a barrister representing anyone in that court."
On Wednesday the 19th Myself and Ros will be in The Hague to broadcast the show with Courtenay Griffiths QC. Please post any comments, questions or suggestions you may have.
