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Libya
The People's Court
In 1971 a people's court was established to try members of the
former royal family, the prime ministers and other officials of
the monarchical regime, people accused of rigging elections in
behalf of that regime, and journalists and editors accused of
corrupting public opinion before the revolution. A member of the
RCC presided over the court, which also included one representative
each from the armed forces, the Islamic University, the Supreme
Court, and the police. Trials and retrials continued at least
as late as 1975, when former King Idris was sentenced to death
in absentia. An amnesty for some of those sentenced in 1971 was
granted by the RCC in 1976.
With matters pertaining to the former monarchical regime having
been resolved, it appeared that several people's courts were being
used in the late 1970s to try crimes against the postrevolutionary
state. In January 1977, a new people's court was formed to try
political detainees. The Decision on the Protection of the Revolution,
issued December 11, 1969, generally defined crimes against the
state as those involving attempted forcible overthrow of the ruling
regime or otherwise rallying opposition to it. Such crimes may
be referred to a people's court, but plots and conspiracies against
the state are usually referred to special military courts created
on an ad hoc basis for that purpose. The military courts and the
people's courts have been criticized for violating the legal rights
of defendants in political cases (see Criminal Justice System
, ch. 5).
Data as of 1987
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