Press Releases
Appointment of Mr. NOGUCHI Motoo as the international reserve judge of the Supreme Court Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) (Statement by Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro)
Japan welcomes an appointment of Mr. NOGUCHI Motoo as the international reserve judge of the Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC which was announced by the Office of the ECCC on July 1.
The ECCC was established as a domestic court in cooperation with the United Nations in 2006 in order to prosecute grave crimes such as crimes under the Genocide Convention and crimes against humanity committed by senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge under international standard. Considering that the trials are a crucial step toward the conclusion of the entire peace process in Cambodia, Japan has played a leading role in the international community in extending support for the trials. Mr. NOGUCHI served as an international judge of the Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC from its establishment in 2006 to 2012. He contributed to the Appeal Case of Case 001 and the judicial process of the ECCC as a member of the Judicial Administration Committee and the Rules and Procedure Committee.
The ECCC completed its trial work in 2022 and commenced its residual functions in 2023. These functions include supervising the enforcement of sentences, reclassification of judicial documents with the aim of making them widely available to the public, preserving and managing the ECCC's archives including judicial and non-judicial documentation, and conducting essential outreach in Cambodia and beyond.
Judge NOGUCHI will join in these activities as a member of the Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC.
Japan hopes that the outcome of the trials will be succeeded as a legacy for the next generations and the international community, and it will contribute to strengthening the rule of law.
After being appointed Prosecutor of the Tokyo and other District Public Prosecutors Offices, Judge NOGUCHI served as Judge of the Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC; Director of International Cooperation Department, Research & Training Institute, Ministry of Justice; Chair of the Board of Directors, The Trust Fund for Victims, International Criminal Court; and Ambassador for International Judicial Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He currently serves as Special Counsel and Attorney at law of IWATA GODO.