the Court. The SCSL is one of a new brand of internationalized criminal bodies, composed of both international and national judges and applying international as well as national law. It shares these features with the Serious Crimes Panels in the District Court of Dili (East-Timor), the Panels in the Courts of Kosovo, and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Each of these courts is located between the international and national legal order and principles of international law that were developed for an interstate context may not apply automatically in regard of them.

If Charles Taylor steps down as president of Sierra Leone, his blanket immunity from prosecution would be terminated. However, under the ruling of the ICJ in the Arrest Warrant case, immunity would still cover actscommitted while in office in his official capacity. Nevertheless, he could be prosecuted for acts committed in the almost eight months running between November 30, 1996 (the date on which the SCSL's jurisdiction became effective) and July 24, 1997 (the date on which Mr. Taylor was declared President).

The retention of the immunity of former heads of states for acts committed in their official capacity has been one of the most critiqued parts of the ICJ judgment. The judgment also leaves open some room for doubt as to what exactly are acts committed in an official capacity. The indictment in the SCSL notes that Mr. Taylor's support of the rebels in Sierra Leone was motivated by the desire to obtain access to the mineral wealth (in particular the diamond