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.

7 Random Thoughts on Justice and Stuff

A lot has happened in the world of international justice since my last post at JiC. So here are 7 stories and thoughts on the ICC and other justice-related stuff from recent weeks. 1. A Strong and Weak ICC? It … Continue reading

Posted in Admissibility, Complementarity, Crime of Aggression, Humanitarian Intervention, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Law, Justice, Kenya, Kenya and the ICC, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC, Peace Negotiations, Responsibiltiy to Protect (R2P), Transitional Justice, UN Security Council | Leave a comment

A Futile Endeavour: Croatia v. Serbia at the ICJ

Iva Vukusic reports for JiC on the legal dispute between Serbia and Croatia at the International Court of Justice over the alleged commission of genocide during the early 1990s. Iva is a former journalist, analyst in the Special War Crimes Department of the … Continue reading

Posted in Croatia, Genocide, Guest Posts, ICTY, International Court of Justice, Serbia | Tagged | 5 Comments

Acquitted by Law, Prosecuted by Propaganda

Caroline Buisman and Kate Gibson join JiC for this post on Rwandan General Gratien Kabiligi who was acquitted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 2008. Caroline and Kate were members of the defence team of Kabiligi during his trial … Continue reading

Posted in Defense Counsel, Guest Posts, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Journalism, Rwanda | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The ICC’s End Days? Not So Fast

Alex Whiting joins JiC for this incisive guest-post response to Dov Jacobs’ recent analysis of the ‘legacy’ of the Katanga judgement. Alex is a Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School where he focuses on international and domestic prosecution issues. … Continue reading

Posted in Germain Katanga, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC) | Tagged , | 5 Comments

New Opportunities for Justice in Sri Lanka?

Very few people doubt that crimes under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) were committed during Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war – especially in the final days of the conflict when military and security forces crushed the remaining … Continue reading

Posted in Commission of Inquiry, Crimes against humanity, Sri Lanka | 1 Comment

The Katanga Verdict and Its Legacy for International Criminal Justice

Dov Jacobs joins JiC for this provocative and thought-provoking examination of the ‘legacy’ of the Katanga judgement. Dov is an assistant professor at Leiden University and the author of the blog Spreading the Jam. This post concludes his three-part commentary … Continue reading

Posted in Defense Counsel, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guest Posts, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Prosecuting Sexual Violence – Some Steps Forward, But Still a Long Way to Go

Viviane Dittrich joins JiC for this guest-post on the recent record of international tribunals in prosecuting sexual violence. Viviane is completing her PhD at the London School of Economics where her work focuses on the international criminal tribunals, their institutional development … Continue reading

Posted in Gender, Guest Posts, ICTY, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Sexual Violence | Tagged | 1 Comment

Russia’s Responsibility to Protect in Ukraine?

Russia is increasingly using the language of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in order to justify its intervention in Crimea, Ukraine. Just yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that any use of armed force in Ukraine would “coincide with our interests to protect the … Continue reading

Posted in Responsibiltiy to Protect (R2P), Russia, Ukraine, UN Security Council | Tagged | 4 Comments

Healing Wounds, Fostering Change: Reparations for Women Victims of International Crimes

Noemi Manco joins JiC for this timely post on reparations for women in post-conflict societies. Noemi is a legal advisor for migrants and asylum seekers in France. She has also worked for Amnesty International in Switzerland and Redress in London.  Well-crafted … Continue reading

Posted in Gender, Guest Posts, Peace Processes, Reparations | Tagged | Leave a comment

Ukraine and the International Criminal Court: Out of Africa and Into Europe?

Ukraine’s Parliament has voted to send its discredited thug of a President Viktor Yanukovych to the International Criminal Court (ICC). After losing his grip on power and fleeing Kiev, Yanukovych is a man on the run. But if he is … Continue reading

Posted in Complementarity, Gravity, International Criminal Court (ICC), Ukraine | Tagged , , | 5 Comments