The law of Cambodia refers to the legal system of the judiciary of Cambodia, which is primarily based on legal codes and statutes, with precedents and local custom also playing an important role. Cambodia has a civil law legal system with legal codes, which were greatly influenced by France, to a lesser extent by Japan, and also adapted to Cambodian circumstances. The Constitution of Cambodia enacted with the restoration of Monarchy in 1993 and it is the supreme law in Cambodia. An independent judiciary has the power to review laws and government acts for constitutionality.
Sources of law Insofar as it was difficult – and long – in 1993 to recreate a complete legal system, the one currently in force in Cambodia takes up elements of the previous regimes, as long as they do not contravene the constitution of 1993, and more recent elements, in particular to bring the political system into conformity with the rules of the market economy.
Constitution The Constitution is the supreme law of Cambodia, therefore, all legal norms must comply with it.
Confirming the conformity of laws in the process of being adopted or already ratified falls under the authority the Constitutional Council at the request of the King, the Prime Minister, the president of one of the two parliamentary chambers, a quarter of the senators, a tenth of the deputies or a court.Article 140 & 141
The procedure for constitutional revision differs from that for laws. Its initiative belongs to the King, to the Prime Minister or to the President of the National Assembly on the proposal of at least a quarter of its members. To avoid too many changes, the modification of this fundamental law must be approved by at least two-thirds of the deputies.Article 151
In fact, since its promulgation on September 29, 1993, the constitution has undergone several revisions. First on October 14, 1994, the constitution was amended to make up for the frequent stays of Norodom Sihanouk abroad: the function of Head of State and his power of signature of official documents could be delegated in the absence of the king. Thus, the decree of October 19, 2004, creating the Khmer Rouge Tribunal or rather the Extraordinary chambers within the Cambodian courts responsible for trying the last Khmer Rouge leaders still alive was, for example, signed by Chea Sim, acting head of state in the absence of Norodom Sihanouk. On March 8, 1999, a Senate was created to solve the political crisis arising from the legislative elections of 1998.
On July 28, 2001, the King was granted the power to bestow honorary titles as that of oknha. On January 19, 2005, the constitutional revision was related to the quorum necessary for the opening of the sessions of the parliament and the investiture of the government, then, on March 9, 2006, a change in voting procedures in the National Assembly and the Senate.Christel Thibault, Christian Huetz de Lemps (dir.), Olivier Sevin (dir.) et al., Paris, Presses de l'université Paris-Sorbonne, coll. « Sciences humaines » (in French), May 22, 2008, 412 p. () « La résistance anti-vietnamienne après Pol Pot. Organisation et compétition interne », p. 74–75 Finally, a modification relating to the administrative organization was approved in February 2008.
Custom The ancient law of Cambodia was customary and oral tradition. Any legal act was accompanied by ceremonies orchestrated by the pagodas and any official had to swear loyalty to the king before taking office. Perjury was then considered one of the most serious faults. If the abolition of the monarchy in 1970 and of religion in 1975 somewhat changed the situation, these modes of operation never totally disappeared. The tradition of mediation at the municipal level remains very popular. Studies by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Development Program have shown the central role that village chiefs continue to play as conciliators in land, marital and proximity disputes.Luco, Fabienne (2002) Entre le Tigre et le Crocodile : Approche Anthropologique sur les Pratiques Traditionelles et Nouvelles de Traitement des Conflits locaux au Cambodge, UNESCO, Phnom Penh, May 2008. A study by The Asia Foundation showed 80% of neighborhood disputes are settled at the village level. In fact, this mode of settlement is almost systematically considered before bringing a case before a court of first instance. Custom even fills in some legal voids. For example, Article 23 of the Contract Law provides that if the meaning of a contractual clause is not clear, it must be interpreted according to customary usage where the contract has been concluded.
Continuity of Laws The 1993 constitution stipulates that:Article 158
In fact, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia and the constitution took over a practice already in force in most of the regimes resulting from the various political upheavals that Cambodia went through in the second half of the 20th century keeping the legislative apparatus of their predecessors for a while rather than creating a break and a legal void.
UN Influence After the signing of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, the various Cambodian factions claiming power agreed to delegate their sovereignty for a temporary period at the United Nations. A series of laws were enacted during this phase to ensure public order and to organize elections. An electoral code was put in place in 1992 and served as a model for the 1997 election law, still in force some twenty years later.
The adoption of a penal code on September 10, 1992, was less fortunate. While it has made it possible to set up international standards in terms of human rights and the protection of international freedoms, it was based on the principles of common law, in contradiction with the civil law traditions of Cambodia. The code was changed first on January 28, 1993, than again in 2010, but the new texts still contain some gaps, which in the name of the continuity of the laws were filled by that of 1992.
International Law As a member of many organizations (United Nations Organization, International Monetary Fund, Group of 77, International Labour Organization, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, World Trade Organization), Cambodia was required to join to sign unto many international treaties or conventions. The implementation process is outlined by the constitution which states that after approval by the National Assembly,Article 90.4 the king signs the texts which are thus ratified.Article 26 However, these treaties must not go against the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, neutrality and national unity of the kingdom under penalty of being abrogated. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the texts relating to those of women and children occupy a special place, however, since their respect is guaranteed by the constitution.Article 31
Legislation Legislative power is shared between the National Assembly and the Senate.Article 99.1 The role of the second is to examine the laws adopted at first reading by the lower house and to issue, if necessary, proposals for amendments are approved by the deputies before the text is definitively promulgated.Article 113 In addition, some areas, such as approval of the state budgetArticle 90.1 or international treaties as well as constitutional amendments are the sole competence of the National Assembly. Finally, the rules of procedure of the two chambers of the parliament as well as the organic laws are subject to an automatic review by the Constitutional Council.Article 140
However, if according to the constitution the initiative for laws is shared between the parliaments and the government, in practise it has been left to the latter which, before submitting a draft, has it prepared by the competent ministerial cabinet and reviewed by a group of lawyers. The fact that neither the deputies nor the senate have such means or skills can explain the low number of texts that they have introduced or which give rise to real discussions.
Case law The constitution states that:Article 129
Judges are therefore content to apply the texts and when they justify their decisions, they limit themselves to setting out the facts relating to the case. The judicial rule of precedent does not apply and the verdicts rendered must concern only the parties present at the trial. In fact, this absence of jurisprudence can lead to contradictory decisions when trying similar cases by two different courts. If the Supreme Court has in its objectives a harmonization of sentences, the results were still awaited in the mid-2010s.
Branches of Law
Civil Law The civil procedure code currently in force in Cambodia dates from 2007 while the civil code entered into force in December 2011.
Civil law perfectly incorporates the frequent recourse to conciliation in use in most Asian countries. Thus, before initiating proceedings, the judge will attempt mediation between the parties. It is supported in this in rural areas by local offices located at the level of phum or villages and srok or districts and representative of traditional social values. The trial only takes place if the conciliation has failed and the judge takes his decision in accordance with the law in force or, if that fails, according to the custom where the dispute takes place.
Criminal Law The Criminal Procedure Code currently in force dates from 2002, while the penal procedure code entered into force in December 2010.
Cambodian criminal law is based on the inquisitorial system. At the end of 2013, it was based on 23 provincial and municipal tribunals of first instance, a military tribunal, a court of cassation and a supreme court.
Public action is reserved for the prosecution and operations of the judicial police take place at the request of the prosecutor. In accordance with civil law tradition and to the great displeasure of Anglo-Saxon organizations and governments, the investigation is entrusted to a judge. During trials, the public prosecutor merely asks for the application of the law. The decisions of the provincial and municipal courts may be appealed within two months after the verdict is pronounced except those decreed by default which may be challenged within two weeks after the convicted person has knowledge of his sentence.
Administrative Law The constitution recognizes that every Khmer citizen has the right to denounce, lodge a complaint or claim reparations for damages caused by illegal activities of state bodies, social bodies and the staff of these bodies.Article 39 In addition, by declaring the judiciary competent for all disputes, including administrative litigation, it confirms the uniqueness of this jurisdiction.Article 128