Boston — Appeals Court Justice Phillip Rapoza has been appointed by the United Nations to serve as a judge on the Special Panel for Serious Crimes in the former Portuguese colony of East Timor.

          The Special Panel is a war crimes tribunal established by the United Nations to deal with war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, murder, rape and torture committed during a campaign of terror waged in 1999 by elements opposed to East Timor's independence. The Special Panel is similar to international tribunals established to conduct trials of war criminals from Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.

          While serving on the Special Panel for Serious Crimes, Justice Rapoza will live in Dili, the capital of East Timor, where the court is located. He is the first American appointed to the court and will join judges from Germany, Italy, Cape Verde and Burundi on the Special Panel. Two judges from East Timor will also participate.  Justice Rapoza will join the court on December 1, 2003.

          In order to serve on the Special Panel, Justice Rapoza requested a one-year unpaid leave of absence from his state court duties, as permitted under state law.  His request was approved by Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall of the Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court Chief Justice Christopher J. Armstrong.  At the end of the year Justice Rapoza will resume his duties on the Appeals Court.

          “Allegations of genocide or war crimes are among the greatest challenges to systems of justice anywhere in the world.  It is a tribute to the Massachusetts judiciary, that Justice Rapoza is not only qualified, but willing, to devote a year to this enormously important international effort to redress whatever injustice accompanied East Timor’s struggle for independence in the late 1990’s, ” said Chief Justice Marshall.

          Chief Justice Armstrong said, "Justice Rapoza's longstanding commitment to the cause of international justice and harmony brings honor to his court and to the entire Massachusetts judiciary.  I speak for all of his colleagues on the Appeals Court in wishing him a fruitful and fulfilling year in this challenging assignment."

          The selection of Justice Rapoza was also praised by the American Ambassador to East Timor, Grover Joseph Rees, who stated: "I am very pleased at the appointment of Judge Rapoza to serve in East Timor as a Judge of the Special Panel for Serious Crimes. He is extraordinarily well qualified to serve in the position for which he has been selected."

          Citing Justice Rapoza's twenty-seven years as a trial and appellate judge, prosecutor, private attorney and scholar, the Ambassador also commended his "history of active involvement with other legal systems and cultures, particularly the legal systems of Portuguese-speaking nations around the world."

          Ambassador Rees emphasized the significance of the work of the Special Panel, stating that it is "important not only to promote justice and accountability for the unspeakable atrocities that were committed in East Timor, but also to warn those who may be contemplating similar atrocities in other countries around the world that they can no longer count on impunity."

          Referring to Justice Rapoza as "not only a distinguished jurist but also a prominent member of the Portuguese-American community," Ambassador Rees stated, "I will be happy to have the opportunity to consult informally from time to time with Judge Rapoza on how the United States can best assist in the development of the legal system in East Timor."

          Commenting on his appointment, Justice Rapoza stated: "I am honored by this appointment and I look forward to serving as a judge on the Special Panel for Serious Crimes. I trust that my experience and skills, developed as a member of the Massachusetts judiciary, will assist in the important work that the tribunal has to perform. It is hard to imagine a more significant undertaking."

          The Special Panel for Serious Crimes was established in 2000 by the United Nations Transitional Administration, which administered East Timor following the withdrawal of Indonesian occupation forces in 1999 and prior to East Timor's independence in 2002. Before the UN became involved, systematic violence perpetrated by contending factions produced thousands of deaths. Approximately 300,000 people, out of a population of 800,000, were killed, wounded, or became permanent refugees.  After peace was restored, the UN administration in the territory established the Special Panel for Serious Crimes.

          Justice Rapoza, a Dartmouth resident, was first appointed to the Massachusetts bench in 1992 as a judge of the Fall River District Court. He was appointed to the Superior Court in 1996 and to the Appeals Court in 1998.  Fluent in Portuguese, Justice Rapoza has extensive experience in international legal programming in the Portuguese-speaking world, including Portugal, Mozambique and Cape Verde. In 2002, President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal bestowed Portugal's highest civilian award on Justice Rapoza, naming him a Commander in the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator. At the time, President Sampaio cited Justice Rapoza's work "in promoting closer relations between the judicial institutions of our two countries.

          Justice Rapoza is a graduate of Yale College and Cornell University School of Law.

.