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.

Victims in the Driver’s Seat: The Trial of Hissène Habré

Oliver Windridge joins JiC for this timely guest-post on the role of victim groups in pushing for the prosecution of Hissène Habré. Oliver is the founder of the ACtHPR Monitor, a website and blog dedicated to the African Court on … Continue reading

Posted in Chad, Guest Posts, Hissène Habré, Human Rights, Justice, Senegal, Special African Chamber (CAE) | Tagged | 4 Comments

The Trial of Hissène Habré: Five Thoughts

In descriptions of the trial of former Chadian president Hissène Habré, no word has been used more often than “finally”. After a quarter century of regular twists and turns along the way as well as a healthy dose of disappointments … Continue reading

Posted in Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Special African Chamber (CAE), United States, Universal Jurisdiction | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Africa-ICC Relationship – More and Less than Meets the Eye (Part 1)

This is part one of a three-part series on the ICC-Africa relationship. Click here for part 2 and here for part 3. There is no point denying it. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has a problem with its relationship with … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Justice | 22 Comments

Weighing Punishment and Peace: The Case of Colombia

Louise Mallinder joins JiC for this timely essay on the need to weigh competing prerogatives in Colombia: negotiating a peaceful transition and achieving accountability. Louise is a Professor in international law and human rights at the Transitional Justice Institute, University … Continue reading

Posted in Amnesty, Colombia, Complementarity, Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Peace Negotiations, Peace Processes | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Lessons from Nuremberg: Why Obama Should Rethink His Gitmo Strategy

JiC welcomes Jonathan Hafetz for this fascinating essay on the lessons the U.S. can and should learn from Nuremberg for its prosecution of alleged terrorists in Guantanamo Bay. Jonathan is Associate Professor of Law at Seton Hall University and is … Continue reading

Posted in Guest Posts, International Criminal Justice, Terrorism, United States | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

On Darfur, the ICC Prosecutor Lays It Down

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has always had something of a phobia of politics. The Court has a deep-seated fear of appearing to be political. The Rome Statute and only the Rome Statute, its prosecutors insist, informs its decision-making. Politics … Continue reading

Posted in Darfur, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Office of the Prosecutor, Sudan | Tagged | 4 Comments

Making Human Rights Violations Visible: The UN Commission of Inquiry on Sri Lanka

Thamil Ananthavinayagan joins JiC for this guest post on the UN Commission of Inquiry of Sri Lanka’s soon-to-be released report and the challenges in achieving justice and accountability. Thamil is PhD researcher at the Irish Centre for Human Rights at … Continue reading

Posted in Guest Posts, Sri Lanka, UN Commission of Inquiry on Sri Lanka | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

What will define Bensouda’s tenure? We’re still waiting

It has been three years since Fatou Bensouda assumed her position as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). When the Gambian lawyer took over the post from Luis Moreno-Ocampo, it was widely believed that she would strike the … Continue reading

Posted in Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Luis Moreno-Ocampo | 3 Comments

A Funny Aside to the Whole Bashir-South Africa Debacle

With the exception of basically everything written at Wronging Rights, “transitional justice jokes“, and occasional pieces from The Onion, the world of international criminal justice rarely produces funny moments. Franky, it would have shocked exactly no one if there wasn’t … Continue reading

Posted in Humour, International Criminal Court (ICC), South Africa, Sudan | Tagged | 3 Comments

Bashir in South Africa: Defeat, Victory or Both for International Criminal Justice?

JiC is thrilled to welcome Kurt Mills for this guest-post on the implications of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s visit to South Africa. Kurt is a Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights at the University of Glasgow and the author of … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), Darfur, Guest Posts, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, South Africa, Sudan | Tagged , | 2 Comments