Irish lawyer appointed to special court for Kosovo

An Irish lawyer is one of six new judges appointed to the special court for Kosovo which held its first hearing in The Hague on Wednesday. The court was established to try crimes allegedly committed during the Kosovo war in the late-1980s. Born in Malawi, in southeast Africa, where his father, Frank, was a teacher with the Kiltegan Fathers, Fergal Gaynor (49) was brought up in Co Westmeath and is a member of the Bar of Ireland. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin and Cambridge University.

Cambodia Tribunal

Mr Gaynor is the only Irish judge attached to the court. Earlier this year he was appointed reserve international co-prosecutor at the Cambodia Tribunal set up to try leaders of the Khmer Rouge. He is also one of the last four contenders for the position of prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, due to be filled by the end of this year.