The Registrar
The Registrar is Herman von Hebel, SC. Mr. von Hebel joined
the Special Court in July 2006 
as Deputy Registrar. He was named Acting
Registrar by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as of 10 July
2007. He had served as Acting Registrar since March 2007.
Mr. von Hebel has wide experience in international law. From 1991 to 2000 he was a member of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working within the Department of the Legal Adviser and the Directorate of Legal Affairs.
Between 1995 and 2000 he represented the Government of the Netherlands on the Preparatory Committee to set up the International Criminal Court. In 1998 he chaired the Working Group on the Definition of War Crimes at the Rome Conference, and from 1999 to 2000 he chaired the Working Group on the Elements of Crimes.
He joined the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 2001 as Senior Legal Officer.
The Registry
The Registry is an organ of the Court and performs its duties as outlined in the Agreement, Statute and Rules of Procedure and Evidence. Rule 33(A) of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence states that:
"The Registrar shall assist the Chambers, the Plenary Meetings of the Special Court, the Judges and the Prosecutor, the Principal Defender and the Defence in the performance of their functions. Under the authority of the President, he shall be responsible for the administration and servicing of the Special Court and shall serve as its channel of communication."
The Registry is responsible for those functions which support the Court process as a whole. This includes the administration of the Court, which comprises the sections of Finance, Personnel, General Services, Facilities Management, Procurement, Communications and Information Technology, and Security.
The Registry is also responsible for the Court Management section (which includes Court Records, the Library and the Language and Stenography Unit), Witness and Victims Support, and the Detention Facility.
The Registrar is committed to supporting the Court process and creating a fair and impartial system. The Registrar is directed by the Rules of Procedure and Evidence to establish a Defence Office, which is responsible for appointing counsel and supporting their work. The Defence Office, while officially part of the Registry, acts as an independent office in the interests of justice.
Finally, the Registry is the official channel of communication of the Court, and the Outreach and Public Affairs section works to get information about the Court to the international and national media, and to the people of Sierra Leone. The Registrar is responsible for negotiating and concluding agreements with States and other organisations. He is also responsible for promulgating official documents of the Court.
The Court faces unique difficulties in being the first tribunal for the prosecution of violations of international humanitarian law to be set up in the theatre where the conflict occurred. A significant lack of infrastructure means that the Registry has constructed the Court's offices and detention facility from scratch. The Court building which, along with the site, will be donated to the Government of Sierra Leone when the Court completes its mandate, was officially opened in March 2004.