Prosecuting War Crimes at Home: Lessons from the War Crimes Chamber in the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-628
Author(s):  
Olga Martin-Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
The State ◽  
Judicial System ◽  
International Standards ◽  
State Court ◽  
International Network ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
Mass Atrocity

The development of an international criminal system to provide justice for international crimes must be complemented by national processes of prosecution and adjudication. In order to guarantee international standards of justice it is necessary to support national efforts of accountability by creating infrastructure and capacity in those countries where the atrocities took place. The War Crimes Chambers of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its accompanying Special Department for War Crimes of the Prosecutor's Office, represent one of the most salient examples of these complementary efforts. In their six years of existence these institutions have accumulated a solid record of prosecutions, developed a considerable practice and established themselves solidly within the Bosnian judicial system and the international network of hybrid and national tribunals. This article considers these years of practice and the lessons that can be learnt for future national processes of prosecution of mass atrocity after conflict.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW AND AR (AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC) LEGISLATION GENOCIDE CRIME AND ITS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL CRIMES

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (04) ◽  
pp. 48-52
Author(s):  
Erkin Humbat Musayev Humbat Musayev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
International Law ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
Transnational Crime ◽  
International Criminal Law ◽  
International Crimes

Key words: international law, international criminal law, genocide, war crimes, transnational crime

scholarly journals Nullum Crimen and International Criminal Law: The Relevance of the Foreseeability Test

2015 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-531
Author(s):  
Harmen van der Wilt
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
International Criminal Law ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
European Court ◽  
Starting Point

This article traces the development of the foreseeability test in the context of the nullum crimen principle. While the European Court of Human Rights has introduced the ‘accessibility and foreseeability’ criteria long ago in the Sunday Times case, the Court has only recently started to apply this standard with respect to international crimes. In the Kononov case, judges of the European Court of Human Rights exhibited strongly divergent opinions on the question whether the punishment of alleged war crimes that had been committed in 1944 violated the nullum crimen principle. According to this author, the dissension of the judges demonstrates the lack of objective foreseeability, which should have served as a starting point for the assessment of the subjective foreseeability and a – potentially exculpating – mistake of law of the perpetrator. The Court should therefore have concluded that the nullum crimen principle had been violated.

A Strategic Choice: The State Policy Requirement in Core International Crimes

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 953-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
ATHANASIOS CHOULIARAS
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
State Policy ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
Criminal Policy ◽  
The State ◽  
International Criminal Law ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Policy Perspective ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
Definition Of

AbstractThe article focuses on one of the most intriguing and, at the same time, controversial issues of international criminal law: whether the state policy requirement should be considered as a constitutive element in core international crimes. Adopting a criminal policy perspective, my intention is to contribute to the ongoing discussion by offering a doctrinal and criminological corroboration of the position that answers in the affirmative. Nevertheless, I am not necessarily promoting a normative choice entailing the amendment of the definition of core international crimes, but I rather call for a policy choice of focusing on cases that presume a state policy component.

scholarly journals Przedterminowe zwolnienie z kary pozbawienia wolności skazanych za ludobójstwo, zbrodnie przeciwko ludzkości i wojenne na mocy orzeczeń międzynarodowych trybunałów karnych „ad hoc” oraz ich sukcesora w postaci Mechanizmu Rezydualnego ONZ

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-226
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Szwejkowska
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
International Criminal Tribunal ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Former Yugoslavia ◽  
Crimes Against Humanity ◽  
Early Release ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
Domestic Law

In the last decade of the 20th century, a war in the former Yugoslavia broke out, once again making Europe a witness to an armed conflict. Almost at the same time, another local ethnic bloodshed started, but this time in distant Africa — in Rwanda. Both these events included the most horrifying international crimes against humanity: genocide and war crimes. To prosecute the most important commanding figures involved in these conflicts and hold them criminally responsible, two ad hoc United Nations tribunals were created: International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in Hague and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha. They finished their operation in 2017 and 2015, respectively. The tasks of conducting and completing all ongoing proceedings, including law enforcement, after the completion of their mandates have been entrusted to the UN International Residual Mechanism. One of the crucial assignments of the tribunals and later the Redisual Mechanism was to deal with the request on behalf of the convicted for granting them early release. Although none of the statutes of the aforementioned courts provided any ground for early release, soon it was accepted that both tribunals, as well as their successor, were entitled to proceed despite this issue. As soon as in 2001, the first convict was granted early release, but with no conditions. It is estimated that, to date, more than 2/3 of all convicted by the Tribunals have been released before the termination of their sentence. This should raise the question of how to rehabilitate that kind of offender, convicted of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity, to ensure they do not pose a threat to society anymore. Especially since the offenders serve their punishment outside the country of their origin — meaning, different rules apply according to the domestic law regulation of the state that voluntarily agreed to enforce the sentence. This article analyzes the juridical approach of the tribunals and the Residual Mechanism on the issue of early release of the convicts involved in the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

scholarly journals Algunas consecuencias jurídicas por omisión legislativa de los crímenes internacionales en México

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elba Jiménez Solares
Keyword(s):  
Rome Statute ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
State Court ◽  
Sovereign State ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
Domestic Legislation ◽  
International Regulations ◽  
Legal Consequences

En el presente artículo se hace un sencillo análisis en torno a las consecuencias jurídicas que puede traer aparejada el ejercicio deficiente tanto de la facultad legislativa como jurisdiccional de un Estado, por la falta de tipicidad de los crímenes internacionales en la legislación doméstica y que son competencia de la Corte Penal Internacional (en adelante CPI). De acuerdo con la normatividad internacional actual, la falta de tipicidad de los crímenes internacionales en las leyes nacionales puede ser causa suficiente para activar la jurisdicción de la CPI, al considerar al Estado soberano como incapaz para perseguir y castigar a los responsables de los crímenes internacionales previstos en el Estatuto de Roma.The present article is a simple discussion on the legal consequences that can result in poor both the exercise of legislative power as a State court, by the lack of characterization of the crimes in the international and domestic legislation that are competition of the International Criminal Court (hereinafter ICC). In accordance with the current international regulations, the lack of criminality of the international crimes in national laws can be cause enough to activate the ICC’s jurisdiction to consider the sovereign State as unable to prosecute and punish those responsible for international crimes under the Rome Statute.

Crimes Against the Sovereign Order: Rethinking International Criminal Justice

2019 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Liss
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
The State ◽  
International Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Jurisdiction ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
Fundamental Challenge ◽  
The Way

AbstractThe scope of international criminal jurisdiction poses a fundamental challenge for criminal law theory. Prevailing justifications for the state's authority to punish crime assume the existence of connections between the state and either the criminal or the crime that are not always present in the international criminal context. Recognizing this gap, this Article introduces a new theory of what distinguishes international crimes from domestic crimes and justifies the unusual scope of international criminal jurisdiction. As this Article explains, international crimes are unique in the way they undermine international society's structure as a system of sovereign states.

Close to Home

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-242
Author(s):  
Kim Thuy Seelinger
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
National Courts ◽  
Local Justice ◽  
Forced Prostitution ◽  
Historical Antecedents

Abstract For decades, the ad hoc tribunals and the International Criminal Court have taken the presumptive spotlight in prosecuting international crimes cases, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence. However, recent progress in prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence in national courts has started to both fulfil and complicate the notion of ‘complementarity’ between these two arenas of international criminal justice. This article presents the historical antecedents and current diversity of national courts addressing conflict-related sexual violence. It first casts back to the 1940s, to the little-known efforts of the United War Crimes Commission that guided national authorities in their prosecution of wartime atrocities including rape and forced prostitution. It then focuses on three kinds of national courts addressing conflict-related sexual violence today: military tribunals, hybrid tribunals and ‘purely domestic’ specialized chambers, highlighting key case studies and different ways these courts have engaged international actors. In conclusion, the article confirms the growing importance and diversity of national courts in the prosecution of conflict-related sexual violence, identifying ways the international community can better support survivors’ access to this more local justice.

Punishing the Enemies of All Mankind

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 971-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALETTE SMEULERS
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
Crimes Against Humanity ◽  
International Criminal Justice ◽  
Collective Violence ◽  
Mass Violence ◽  
International Crimes

How do we and how should we punish perpetrators of international crimes such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide? Is it fair to hold individuals responsible for their role in manifestations of this type of collective violence? Do the punishments issued by international criminal institutions support the usual penological rationales? Do they actually attain their goals? Is the Westernized international criminal justice system the most appropriate means of dealing with mass violence, especially in non-Western countries which might have a different perception of justice? What are the alternatives? These are just some of the questions which Mark Drumbl addresses in this book.

scholarly journals The Problem of Witness Interference before International Criminal Tribunals

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 700-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie de Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
International Criminal ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
Crimes Against Humanity ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
International Criminal Tribunals

Victims of international crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, are considered crucial in establishing the evidence in cases before international criminal tribunals. Yet, due to the geographic, political, ethnic or religious circumstances in the country of origin, the nature of the crimes concerned and the nature of the victims’ or accuseds’ involvement in the crimes, international cases also bring with them significant risks for victims/witnesses and challenges for tribunals in protecting them. At times, individuals have disclosed identifying information of victims/witnesses in violation of protection orders of the tribunal, which has led to threats, intimidations and even murders, and ultimately, in a number of cases, the unwillingness of victims/witnesses to testify. Although the tribunals have measures at their disposal to sanction individuals breaching protection orders, the question remains how big the problem of witness interference really is and how to address this issue adequately.

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