Jobs I'd never want to do

There are many jobs that I'd never want to do. Before having children wiping another persons bottom and constantly cleaning up other peoples poo was up there. Marketing tobacco would be another. The type of jobs that are either physically or morally just a bit ick.

Radovan Karadzic was arrested a year ago and is currently preparing his defence for charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. He was the political leader of the Bosnian Serbs during the war here, as opposed to Ratko Mladic, who is still at large and was their military leader. This trial, by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (known as the ICTY) will be one of the biggest war crimes tribunals since Nuremberg. Expected to start in late August or early September, it will be a media frenzy as many of the events of 1992 to 1995 are relived. The charges carry a particular focus on the siege of Sarajevo and the events in Srebrenica and the media is sure to focus upon them, but many of the other charges relate to other areas of Bosnia.

Most of the people I have spoken to are relieved to see Karadzic go on trial but I should say that we live in Tuzla which is a predominantly Bosniak (that is Bosnian Muslim) area. Were we to be in Banja Luka, the capital of the Bosnian Serb area, it would be a different story.

Despite originally saying that he would defend himself (and muttering something vague about an invisible ally) Karadzic has amalgamated a strong defence team, most of whom are working pro bono.

I understand the need for Karadzic to have a good and a strong defence team. For the trial and its outcomes to be accepted by all sides, they must ensure that there are no loopholes, no ways in which his defenders might be able to say that it was rigged. He must have a fair trial, he must be able to justify his actions and show where he feels the charges are wrong. The tribunals are writing down a history of what happened and for this history to be accepted as the truth they must ensure that all sides are well and fairly represented.

I just don't know if I'd be able to stomach being his lawyer.

(For more on this story see Balkan Insight and also My soda with Radovan, written by one of his defending lawyers)