The Contempt Judge of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Thursday issued a decision that rules that the STL does not have jurisdiction to hear cases of obstruction of justice against legal persons.
However, Judge Nicola Lettieri confirmed that under Rule 60 the Tribunal "does have" jurisdiction to hear cases for offences against the administration of justice against natural persons, said the STL in a press release.
The decision comes after the defence lawyers for the Lebanese NEW TV and Lebanese journalist Karma Mohamed Tahsin Al-Khayat submitted a motion on June 16, 2014, challenging the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to hear cases of contempt in relation to legal persons.
The accused had not challenged the authority of the Tribunal to prosecute them for obstruction of justice, but pleaded not guilty, noted the press release.
The STL in January began proceedings against two Lebanese journalists and two news organisations in Lebanon for contempt. It accused them of having published names of individuals alleged to be witnesses before the Tribunal in the Hariri killing case.