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.

Why the ICC Won’t Prosecute Museveni

Anyone who has visited and spoken to the citizens of northern Uganda will be well aware of the harrowing stories of abuse and devastation wreaked by the vicious twenty-five year war between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels and the … Continue reading

Posted in Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Uganda | 43 Comments

A Former Bush Official’s Breathtakingly Absurd ICC Proposal

Most followers of the International Criminal Court (ICC) likely thought that the days of absurd proposals from US officials to undermine the ICC were at thing of the past. Surely no one would ever propose to do something as politically … Continue reading

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

Yes, the ICC is in Crisis. It Always Has Been.

It has become increasingly common for scholars and observers of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to state that the ICC is in “crisis”. Conference panels, a host of academic articles, news pieces and op-eds seem drawn towards posing some variation … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC) | 18 Comments

Big Changes in Sri Lanka, but Little Hope for Justice?

JiC is thrilled to welcome Kate Cronin-Furman for this guest-post on the potential for justice and accountability in the wake of recent – and significant – political changes in Sri Lanka. Kate is a human rights lawyer and Ph.D. candidate … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, International Law, Justice, Sri Lanka | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

On the ICC in Palestine, Canada Crosses the Line

On a stop in Jerusalem during his visit to Israel and Palestine earlier this week, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird emphatically declared that, in joining the International Criminal Court (ICC), Palestinians had “made a huge mistake”. Baird’s remarks coincided with … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC | Tagged | 5 Comments

In Its Fight Against the ICC, Israel Takes a Page Out of John Bolton’s Playbook

The following article is based on a piece I wrote for the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage (you can read the full original article here). Palestine’s decision to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) has instigated a furious backlash from Israeli … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Despite Ups and Downs, the ICC is Here to Stay

Alex Whiting joins JiC for this guest-post putting the highs and lows of the ICC into historical and political perspective. Alex is a Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School where he focuses on international and domestic prosecution issues. He … Continue reading

Posted in Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), ICTY, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), International Law, Justice, Special Court for SIerra Leone (SCSL), Special Tribunal for Lebanon | Tagged | 4 Comments

An ICC Indicted LRA Commander is in US Custody. So What Now?

It was just a few short weeks ago, following the collapse of the case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, that many were predicting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) was on the precipice of irrelevance. But the world of international criminal justice has … Continue reading

Posted in Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Uganda | Tagged | 6 Comments

Is International Criminal Justice Coming to South Sudan?

The following is a guest-post by Patryk I. Labuda on the potential of pursuing international criminal justice in South Sudan. Patryk is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva who has worked in South Sudan, Sudan and … Continue reading

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, South Sudan, Sudan | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Happy 2015 – And Predictions!

Dear readers, Happy New Years! For many reasons, 2014 was a remarkable year in the world of international criminal justice. The past 12 months saw fascinating developments – Palestine signed the Rome Statute, unprecedented pressure was been exerted to refer North Korea to … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Justice, JiC News | 1 Comment