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CYIL 7 ȍ2016Ȏ
THE UNITED NATIONS WAR CRIMES COMMISSION…
Secretary of the Legal Committee. Another lawyer coming from the German
minority, Dr. Egon Schwelb, who served as a member of the Legal Council of the
Czechoslovak exile Government, was appointed the Legal Officer of the Commission
in March 1945 (he later pursued his career in the UN).
28
As any other international organization, the Commission was also equipped
with its Secretariat, consisting of just a few individuals. The first Secretary-General,
Mr. Hugh McKinnon Wood, was proposed by the Lord Chancellor and confirmed
by the Commission at its first meeting on 11 January 1944. When Foreign Office
requested him for other work, the Commission elected as Secretary-General Colonel
G. A. Ledingham.
29
The Commission established three main committees: Committee I, referred to
as the “Committee on Facts and Evidence”, was formed by the Commission on the
basis of a Czechoslovak proposal. At the same time, the Commission recommended
to establish National Offices that would investigate the reports relating to war crimes
and submit the information to the Committee I (after the liberation, the Czechoslovak
National Office was the Ministry of Interior). Committee I then examined the charges
filed by the Governments (through the National Offices, or directly) and prepared
the lists of war criminals for the apprehending authorities. A new List emerged when
a sufficient number of names was accepted. After the approval by the Commission,
the List was printed. Committee I met regularly once a week.
30
Committee II, constituted at themeeting on 1 February 1944, was concernedwith
“enforcement”, which comprised measures to ensure the detection, apprehension,
trial and punishment of persons guilty or responsible for war crimes. Over time, its
functions were taken over by the other two committees.
31
Committee III, also created on 1 February 1944, was the Legal Committee to
advise on legal questions, including definition of a war crime, defense of superior
orders, military necessity
etc.
32
Furthermore, on the proposal of China, the Commission
established, on 10 May 1944, a Far Eastern Sub-Commission as its branch dealing
with the Japanese war criminals.
33
In addition to its main committees, the Commission
further created the Public Relations Committee, Finance Committee
etc.
34
Nowadays, the sensitive issue being discussed within international organizations is
the budget (not excluding the International Criminal Court), so this question should
not be omitted. The salary of every Commissioner was paid by his Government, while
the Commission was responsible only for the salary of the Secretary-General, his staff
28
See supra note 4, p. 137.
29
Ibid.
, p. 119.
30
Ibid.
, p. 120-123.
31
Ibid.
, p. 124.
32
Ibid.
, p. 126-127.
33
Ibid.
, p. 129-131.
34
Ibid.
, p. 131.