Author Archives: Alana Tiemessen

“Let’s Ditch War Crimes”? Let’s Not Get Carried Away with Justice Criticism and Cynicism

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Alana Tiemessen

Common criticisms and cynicism of international justice, and the International Criminal Court specifically, are frustrating as they tend to obscure reality, misunderstand both the limits and possibilities of accountability norms and institutions, and misdirect blame away from states whose cooperation … Continue reading →

Posted in Complementarity, Deterrence, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Outreach, UN Security Council, War crimes | 2 Comments

New article: “The International Criminal Court and the Politics of Prosecutions”

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Alana Tiemessen

I have a new article out in The International Journal of Human Rights that JiC readers might be interested in.*  If anyone does not have access to the journal through their library’s subscriptions, they are free to contact me for … Continue reading →

Posted in Gravity, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The ICC and Varieties of Deterrence

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Alana Tiemessen

I recently attended an event, hosted by the Carr Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, to hear renowned scholar Beth Simmons and former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo discuss the ICC’s ability to deter civilian atrocities. … Continue reading →

Posted in Complementarity, Conflict Resolution, Deterrence, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Indonesia and the False Promise of International Justice

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Alana Tiemessen

Indonesia continues to have a contentious relationship with international justice. Now, “politics” is being blamed for Indonesia’s waning support for the ICC and ratification of the Rome Statute. According to this article out of the Jakarta Post, the ICC is … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, International Criminal Court (ICC) | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Defying Gravity: Seeking Political Balance in ICC Prosecutions

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Alana Tiemessen

The International Criminal Court is often accused of being “political” or “politicized” in its selection of situations and cases. What has become most problematic for the Court’s credibility and impartiality in this regard are the situations and cases that have … Continue reading →

Posted in Admissibility, Democratic Republic of Congo, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Ivory Coast / Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast and the ICC, Uganda | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Reparations for Lubanga’s Victims: What the ICC Can Do

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Alana Tiemessen

Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court released the Trial Chamber’s decision on the principles and procedures to be applied to reparations following from Thomas Lubanga Dyilo’s war crimes conviction for enlisting and conscripting child soldiers and using them to … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Soldiers, Democratic Republic of Congo, International Criminal Court (ICC) | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Will the African Union and ICC Mend Fences? New leadership, less bad blood

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Alana Tiemessen

The African Union summit, held this past week in Ethiopia, could have important implications for the ICC’s relationship with African states. Despite such strong support among African states in the Rome Treaty negotiations for the ICC, the Court’s focus on … Continue reading →

Posted in African Union (AU), Fatou Bensouda, Kenya, Sudan | 5 Comments

Failed States and International Judicial Intervention

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Alana Tiemessen

The new Failed States Index, published yearly by Foreign Policy magazine and The Fund for Peace, is just out and it comes as no surprise that most states with cases at the International Criminal Court are highly ranked as “failed.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Central African Republic (CAR), Complementarity, Democratic Republic of Congo, International Criminal Court (ICC), Ivory Coast / Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Libya, Sudan, Uganda | Tagged | 1 Comment

Does the ICC Need to Reconcile with Africa? Bensouda Comes Out Swinging

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Alana Tiemessen

Fatou Bensouda, incoming Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, has put threatening war criminals and defiant states on notice. In several recent public statements she has directly addressed two of the Court’s most significant challenges: the accusation that the … Continue reading →

Posted in African Union (AU), Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor | 8 Comments