Director of the Preah Sihanouk Appeal Court Sok Kalyan on November 16 urged judicial officials to fulfil their roles professionally to avoid violating human rights.

The call came as officials from the regional Appeal Court inspected the work and law enforcement of prosecutors at courts under its jurisdiction in Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong and Kampot provinces.

During an inspection at the Koh Kong Provincial Court, they met judicial police, prison and court officials.

Lim Sinath, secretary-general of the General Secretariat of Administration of the Preah Sihanouk Appeal Court, told The Post on November 17 this was the first time that officials had inspected the provincial courts since the regional Appeal Court was established in September.

“We have just been able to carry out the inspection in the initial stages because the Covid-19 pandemic delayed and halted some of our work. But now, we did it and continue our journey,” he said.

The Appeal Court director, Kalyan, told The Post on November 17 that provincial court prosecutors, judicial police and prison officials in the three provinces are obliged to work together in solidarity to solving problems and execute court judgments.

“They have to do whatever it takes to make sure that charged persons and victims get justice in accordance with the law,” he said.

Kalyan advised investigating judges and judicial police to investigate complaints in depth and attentively to make sure prosecutions are substantiated.

He said mistakes executed by law enforcement officials in the past affected the rights of defendants and brought about a backlog of court cases and prison overcrowding.

“We want to help the investigating judges fulfil their duties,” he said.

King Norodom Sihamoni issued a royal decree last year approving the establishment of three regional appeal courts – to be based in Tbong Khmum, Battambang and Preah Sihanouk provinces – to facilitate the proceeding of legal cases in provincial courts under their jurisdiction.

Since its inception, Kalyan said the Preah Sihanouk Appeal Court had received more than 30 cases from the provincial courts under its jurisdiction. Most of the cases concerned land, drugs, violence and illegal confinement.

Political analist Lao Mong Hay said in Cambodia’s legal system, the investigation of facts is the work of prosecutors, judges and police in stages to ensure there is sufficient evidence to charge offenders. He said this investigation requires them to join hands in creating court proceedings.

He said it was correct for the regional Appeal Court director to advise officials to investigate offences in depth and completely.

“For offences to be investigated correctly, officials must have skills, talents, means, independence, impartiality, integrity – all of which are still lacking. So, in order to fulfil the orders of the Appeal Court director, the state has to fill all these shortages and officials themselves also have to do the same,” he said.