Author Archives: Mark Kersten

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About Mark Kersten

Mark Kersten is an Assistant Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, and a Senior Consultant at the Wayamo Foundation in Berlin, Germany. Mark is the founder of the blog Justice in Conflict and author of the book, published by Oxford University Press, by the same name. He holds an MSc and PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) from the University of Guelph. Mark has previously been a Research Associate at the Refugee Law Project in Uganda, and as researcher at Justice Africa and Lawyers for Justice in Libya in London. He has taught courses on genocide studies, the politics of international law, transitional justice, diplomacy, and conflict and peace studies at the London School of Economics, SOAS, and University of Toronto. Mark’s research has appeared in numerous academic fora as well as in media publications such as The Globe and Mail, Al Jazeera, BBC, Foreign Policy, the CBC, Toronto Star, and The Washington Post. He has a passion for gardening, reading, hockey (on ice), date nights, late nights, Lego, and creating time for loved ones.

Five Things to Know about the ICC’s Afghanistan Investigation

With the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the verge of opening an investigation into Afghanistan, much has been written about how this might affect Canada. Could the investigation focus on the role of Canadian officials in surrendering detainees who were … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Canada, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, United States | 2 Comments

The Clock is Ticking – Keeping South Africa in the ICC is a Tall, but Not Impossible, Order

The clock is ticking. In just about eleven months, South Africa will officially withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Here at the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), though, the overall feeling is optimistic. Many participants, especially those representing civil … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, Assembly of States Parties, International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, South Africa | 3 Comments

‘We Stay. We Respond’ – A Speech on Africa and the International Criminal Court

The following is a speech delivered by Njonjo Mue to the plenary session of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court. Njonjo is a human rights lawyer and transitional justice expert. He is currently a Senior Advisor … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, Assembly of States Parties, Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice | Tagged | Leave a comment

Whatever Happens, the ICC’s Investigation into US Torture in Afghanistan is a Win for the Court

It was predicted when the US Senate released its so-called ‘Torture Report’. A few weeks ago, it was reported to be true. And now the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed it. A decision … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Preliminary Examinations, Torture, United States | 9 Comments

South Africa and Burundi Withdrawals Expose Faults and Fault-Lines in ICC Opposition

It’s now been a few weeks since Burundi and South Africa signalled their intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Barring any changes or decisions to reverse course, by October of next year the number of ICC member-states … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, Burundi, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, South Africa | 2 Comments

Balancing Principles, Politics, and Pragmatics: U.S. Policy-Making on Transitional Justice

Zachary D. Kaufman joins JiC for this post on recent transitional justice policy-making in the United States. Zachary is a Senior Fellow at Harvard University‘s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the author of ‘United States Law and Policy … Continue reading

Posted in Guest Posts, Transitional Justice, United States | Tagged | Leave a comment

Invitation to Events in London

Dear readers, For those of you in London, I will be participating in two public events in the city next week. The first will be a launch of my book, Justice in Conflict – The Effects of the International Criminal … Continue reading

Posted in JiC News, Justice in Conflict | 3 Comments

What the ICC Can Do to Improve its Relationship with African States

Allegations that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is biased against ‘Africa’ are nothing new. They have persisted for nearly a decade now and have only achieved greater salience in the wake of the recent decisions of South Africa, Burundi, and … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice | 8 Comments

Ten African States Who Will Stick with the International Criminal Court

In the wake of South Africa’s, Burundi’s and The Gambia’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the focus of observers and commentators has been on who is next. Who will join the “queue” to leave the ICC? … Continue reading

Posted in Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA), African Union (AU), Botswana, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Ivory Coast / Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast and the ICC, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa | 5 Comments

Some Thoughts on South Africa’s Withdrawal From the International Criminal Court

Contrary to the suggestion of some, the dust on South Africa’s and Burundi’s (and Gambia‘s) withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has not settled. It won’t for some time. These two withdrawals have sparked an intense debate on the … Continue reading

Posted in Botswana, Gambia, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Omar al-Bashir, South Africa, Sudan | 5 Comments