The Price of Justice

The free market has played a merry jape on the international tribunals in charge of bringing selected war criminals to justice over the fun and games in 1990s Yugoslavia and Rwanda. The tribunals were originally mandated to complete their business at some time in the next thirty-two days; although an extension has been granted until the end of next year, large numbers of specialist staff have not been told whether their contracts will be renewed. Up to forty per cent, including lawyers, investigators, translators and jailers, are expected to "abandon their jobs", as the Guardian puts it. Apparently even the principle of labour mobility can be carried too far.

Still, the general assembly has remained true to market forces and rejected measures to retain its workers; and Her Majesty's Government, which did so much to help both massacres along, has not dissented. "We need to strike a balance between fairness and cost-effectiveness," the Foreign Office said, without giving the exact proportions necessary to satisfy its scruples.