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.

A Fatal Attraction? The UN Security Council and the Relationship between R2P and the International Criminal Court

Many readers will know that, over the last year or so, I have been thinking quite a bit about the relationship between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). It started barely a month into this … Continue reading

Posted in Libya, Responsibiltiy to Protect (R2P), UN Security Council | 9 Comments

Egypt to Join the ICC but also Guarantee Bashir Immunity

Many, many months ago, I wrote that Egypt had declared it was set to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). That was back in early April 2011, when the country was in the midst of the ‘Arab Spring’. Nearly two … Continue reading

Posted in Darfur, Egypt, International Criminal Court (ICC), Sudan | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

When Alleged Perpetrators of Crimes Against Humanity…Have a Presidential Debate

Imagine candidates in a presidential debate arguing over who should end up at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bizarre, right? Well, imagine no more; that is exactly what happened in Nairobi earlier this week when Kenya’s presidential candidates squared off … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Kenya, Ocampo Six | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Responding to Allegations of Human Rights Abuses – A Lesson from Libya’s Justice Minister

Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently published its annual World Report. In the report, the human rights organization examined the records of 90 states, including those emerging from the “Arab Spring”. Suffice to say, they didn’t hold back when it came … Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Human Rights, Libya | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The UN says Nuh-Uh to Mediators Talking with ICC Indictees?

Should we negotiate with individuals suspected of having committed the most egregious international crimes? This question goes to the very heart of the “peace versus justice” debate and has long been hotly contested. On the one hand, most in the … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Law, Peace Negotiations, Peace Processes, Peacebuilding, Uncategorized, United Nations | Tagged | Leave a comment

The ICC might not deter Mali’s Rebels – but it might deter the Government

Last week, Fatou Bensouda, the chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court warned Mali’s government that she could investigate alleged atrocities committed by the government’s military forces. And it’s a good thing she did. While the ICC may have little-to-no … Continue reading

Posted in Deterrence, International Criminal Court (ICC), Mali, Uganda | 4 Comments

The ICC and Regime Change: Some Thoughts but Mostly Questions

Few issues in international criminal justice are as contentious as the relationship between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and regime change. After all, it goes right to the heart of the tensions between humanitarianism and the messy realities of conflict … Continue reading

Posted in Conflict Resolution, Darfur, Humanitarian Intervention, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, Syria | 8 Comments

Intervention in Mali: Human Rights First?

A familiar face returns to JiC, as Andrew Jillions joins us for this timely post the need for a human-rights focused approach to France’s intervention in Mali. For more of Andrew’s post, see here. Enjoy! Where have all the humanitarians gone? It is security, … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, Humanitarian Intervention, International Law, Mali | 7 Comments

Trading Justice for Temporary Peace: Not Just a Bad Idea?

If the United Nations Security Council ever refers the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, you can be certain that the referral will include a reference to the Security Council’s ability, under Article 16 of the Rome Statute, … Continue reading

Posted in Article 16, Conflict Resolution, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Kenya, Peace Negotiations, Peace Processes, Uganda | Tagged | Leave a comment

My Wife and Kids…and my Drone

Richard Slade joins JiC for this post on the precarious logic behind the use of drone strikes. Richard is an International Criminal law and Human Rights Writer and Researcher from New Zealand living in Melbourne, Australia. Richard, who blogs at Flightless … Continue reading

Posted in Drones, International Law | Tagged , | 3 Comments