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.

ICC Hands off Libya

I have a new article up at Foreign Policy’s Middle East Channel that may be of interest to some readers. It covers the ICC’s inadmissibility ruling in the case of Abdullah al-Senussi. The piece places the ruling into the political … Continue reading

Posted in Admissibility, Complementarity, ICC Prosecutor, Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, UN Security Council | Tagged | 2 Comments

On the Eve of the AU Summit: How the ICC Is Being Defended

As African leaders publicly question their support for the International Criminal Court, a wide range of ICC supporters have rallied to its defense. Peter Dixon and Chris Tenove examine the allies and the forms of authority that the Court can … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Nothing but Verdicts: The Purpose of Tribunals

On the verge of the final verdict in the Charles Taylor trial, Thijs B. Bouwknegt joins JiC for this critical examination of the role and purpose of international criminal tribunals. Thijs is a legal historian and researcher at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust … Continue reading

Posted in International Law, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Special Court for Sierra Leone, Special Court for SIerra Leone (SCSL) | Tagged | 6 Comments

A Brand New Low: Ruto Blames the ICC For Westgate Tragedy

By now, readers will be intimately aware with the ongoing and tragic crisis unfolding in Nairobi. According to reports, al-Shabab militants have barricaded themselves and hostages inside Westgate mall. Some 70 civilians have been killed with well over a hundred … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Kenya, Kenya and the ICC | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Bashir Wants to Visit the Big Apple

It appears that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has his heart set on visiting the Big Apple. Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for a trinity of atrocity crimes (genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity) has applied for … Continue reading

Posted in Crimes against humanity, Darfur, Genocide, International Criminal Court (ICC), Sudan, United Nations, United States, War crimes | Tagged | 10 Comments

The Price of Deference: Is the ICC Bowing to Pressure in the Kenya Cases?

Thomas Obel Hansen joins JiC for this fascinating guest-post on the internal and external pressures facing the ICC in the Kenya cases. Thomas is an independent consultant and an assistant professor of international law with the United States International University in … Continue reading

Posted in Burundi, Eritrea, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Kenya, Kenya and the ICC, Rome Statute, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

The ICC: What Counts as a Success?

Birju Kotecha, a graduate tutor in law at Northumbria University Law School, joins JiC for this post on the challenges of measuring the ICC’s ‘success’. Enjoy! One of the striking features of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is its ability to … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC) | 1 Comment

Syria: Where Not All Deaths Are Treated Equally

Betcy Jose, an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Denver, joins JiC for this thought-provoking guest-post on intervention in Syria and the unequal treatment of human lives – and deaths. Currently, U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to persuade Congress to authorize … Continue reading

Posted in Syria | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Former ICC Chief Prosecutor Speaks out on Syria, Endorses Conditional Referral

For the most part, Luis Moreno-Ocampo has remained quiet about the work of his former employer, the International Criminal Court (ICC). But in the midst of ongoing debates about the utility and legality of military intervention in Syria, the vocal … Continue reading

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

Kenya’s Withdrawal from the ICC – An Act in Vain?

Yesterday, Kenya’s Parliament voted in favour of a motion to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). In the wake of the vote, there has been some alarmist rhetoric about what Kenya’s move to withdraw from the Court means for … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Law, Justice, Kenya, Kenya and the ICC | Tagged , , | 10 Comments