The Khmer Rouge tribunal (ECCC) yesterday released its biennial budget for 2016-2017, amounting to $58.8 million, a small decline from the roughly $60.5 million for 2014-2015.

According to a breakdown of the budget, $13.01 million will be covered by the Cambodian government, while the rest will come from international donors. The costs come to $32.2 million for 2016 and $26.5 million for 2017.

ECCC spokesman Lars Olsen said the fluctuations in cost pertained to what trial phases the court’s various cases are entering and exiting.

Since all accused persons have been charged, Olsen continued, the offices of the co-investigating judges and pre-trial chambers are phasing out.

The 2017 budget was based on a projected schedule that is already subject to delays, but Olsen said the process of revising it was “normal”.

The ECCC has often drawn fire for its high cost, especially relative to the small number of convictions it has made, but Jon Silverman, a war-crimes tribunal researcher, cautioned that “this is a fairly crude measure of the effectiveness of international justice”.