When justice fails: lessons from a landmark ivory trafficking trial

To improve enforcement outcomes in environmental and financial crime cases, it is helpful to dissect both successes and failures.

One example, presented at a meeting of the Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum, involved a high-profile ivory trafficking trial in Kenya. Initially hailed as a landmark for conservation justice, the prosecution ultimately collapsed in court. The official explanation cited evidentiary gaps and a breakdown in international cooperation – specifically the inability to repatriate over three tonnes of seized ivory from Thailand.

Chris Morris, who closely attended the eight-year trial, argues that the failure also highlights deeper structural and systemic weaknesses in the criminal justice process. He emphasizes the importance of courtroom monitoring and ongoing oversight throughout legal proceedings to help safeguard the integrity of environmental and financial crime prosecutions, and to improve overall enforcement outcomes.

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Related practical guide: Quick guide to court monitoring by Mary Muthoni