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.

Event: Syria and International Justice

Dear readers, On 30 June 2014, the LSE Centre for International Studies Dialogue will be hosting what promises to a fascinating roundtable on Syria and International Justice. The roster of participants will be Kevin Jon Heller, Leslie Vinjamuri, Jason Ralph, Dov … Continue reading →

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The Onion Targets the ICC

International criminal justice and transitional justice are rarely funny. There are a few jokes. But outside of the hilarious, periodically knee-slapping pieces by Amanda and Kate at Wronging Rights, jokes about this stuff are few and far between. Every now and then, though, … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, International Criminal Court (ICC) | 2 Comments

Unnecessary & Counter-Productive: Samantha Power Explains US Position on ICC & Syria

Yesterday, I highlighted Argentina’s eloquent and conscientious defence of the International Criminal Court’s integrity and independence in response to the Security Council’s failure to refer Syria to the ICC. Today, I want to focus on the response by the United States’ … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council, United Nations, United States | Tagged | 4 Comments

Argentina Slams UN Security Council Over ICC Referral, Entrenching Selectivity

Some of the best responses to both failed and successful UN Security Council resolutions are seldom read or heard because they come from small or middle-power states and because they get lost in the fray of big-power rhetoric. Just one … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council, United Nations | Tagged | 3 Comments

The Security Council’s Appalling Record of Referring Situations to the ICC

With the backdrop of the failed referral of Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Jonathan O’Donohue joins JiC for this very timely and critical take on the Security Council’s record of (not) referring situations to the ICC. Jonathan is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council | 2 Comments

An Enduring Shame: The Chagos Islander’s Long Fight for Justice

Linda Browne joins JiC for this fascinating guest-post on the fight of the people of the Chagos Islands to achieve justice and take back their homeland. Linda is currently a Masters student in Understanding and Securing Human Rights at the Institute of … Continue reading →

Posted in Chagos Islands, Guest Posts, Justice, United Kingdom, United Nations | 3 Comments

Syria and the ICC: Three Burning Questions

The debate over the merits and meaning of a potential United Nations Security Council referral of Syria to the International Criminal Court continues. In this light, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to pen an article for The Monkey Cage / … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Full Draft: UN Resolution Referring Syria to the ICC

As readers will know, the US has agreed to support a referral of Syria to the International Criminal Court (see here and here). Observers have since been commenting on and debating the potential details of a referral (see here, here and here) and what … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council, United Nations | 10 Comments

The ICC in Syria: Three Red Lines

The world is abuzz with the news that that the Obama administration is finally willing to back a referral of Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Will the US’s volte face on an ICC intervention in Syria create ripe conditions for … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Syria, UN Security Council | 13 Comments

US Throws Support Behind Referral of Syria to the ICC

In a bombshell, must-read exclusive at Foreign Policy, Colum Lynch reports that the Obama administration has decided to throw its support behind a United Nations Security Council referral of Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC). There is an obvious … Continue reading →

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Russia, Syria, UN Security Council, United States | Tagged , | 8 Comments