A faceless court, also known as a faceless judge, is a special court of justice, created within the system of certain jurisdictions, responsible for the prosecution and trial of crimes generally linked to drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime.
[1] This special type of court was first created in Italy, where they were implemented for trials against local mafias.
[4][5] In Brazil, the states of Rio de Janeiro, Pará, Mato Grosso, Bahia, Roraima, Santa Catarina and Alagoas allow their use in the prosecution of drug trafficking and militia crimes.
[7] Specifically, the Human Rights Committee has ruled that they are incompatible with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in that "they fail to guarantee a cardinal aspect of a fair trial within the meaning of article 14 ... that the tribunal must be, and be seen to be, independent and impartial".
[8] The Inter-American Court has also said that when they are used, "defendants have no way of knowing the identity of their judge and therefore, of assessing their competence".