Some activists fear that prosecution of war crimes could be hindered if Arbour quits her U.N. post without taking the cases to trial. She has done such a professional job, she's been so dogged . Her departure could plunge the U.N. Security Council into a lengthy stalemate over finding a replacement, weaken the fledgling international court system and cost Canada dearly sought stature and credibility in world affairs. Most damaging, it could halt any new war-crimes indictments for the foreseeable future. U.N. legal analysts say indictments can be signed only by the chief prosecutor, not an acting or deputy prosecutor.
Some legal experts question that assertion, saying an acting prosecutor can sign indictments.
Nevertheless, Arbour's departure, along with the already announced exit of chief Judge Gabrielle Kirk MacDonald, would rob the tribunal of seasoned professionals. Arbour may have won a short reprieve from the June 1 deadline for the court appointment. Arbour is described as a no-nonsense woman who sticks up for what is right. In the past month, she has gathered data and other evidence of alleged Yugoslav war crimes in visits to NATO member capitals, and her investigators have extensively interviewed Kosovo refugees driven from their homeland by Yugoslav forces. But she is physically and emotionally drained, according to friends and media reports.