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 Touching Moment with Aung San Suu Kyi

I had the once in a lifetime opportunity today to see Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy and human rights champion. Suu Kyi participated in a roundtable on the rule of law at the LSE and was her typical, passionate … Continue reading

Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Film, Human Rights, Justice | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Few Thoughts on ‘Nuremberg: Its Lessons for Today’

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to see a screening of the Schulberg/Waletzky restoration of the film, Nuremberg – Its Lessons for Today. The film provides a fascinating insight into the infamous International Military Tribunal, which was held from … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Holocaust, Nuremberg, Nuremberg Trials | Leave a comment

Changing of the Guard: Bensouda In, Ocampo Out

Fatou Bensouda has officially replaced Luis Moreno-Ocampo (who is off to FIFA!) as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. With dozens of writers and observers scrambling to publish their thoughts on what Bensouda’s tenure will and should focus … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), Fatou Bensouda, Human Rights, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC) | 1 Comment

ICC Staff Locked up in Libya: An Unfolding Debacle

It isn’t getting any better for anyone involved. Many will already be aware of the arrest of four ICC staff by a militia in Zintan, Libya, on allegations of spying. The controversy it spawned revolves around Melinda Taylor, an Australian … Continue reading

Posted in Defense Counsel, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

The End of Amnesty: Whither “Peace Versus Justice” in Northern Uganda?

I couldn’t resist contributing to the discussion that Mark Schenkel has begun with his fantastic post on the expiration of northern Uganda’s Amnesty Act. Readers shouldn’t let the fact that the story hasn’t been widely covered fool them into believing … Continue reading

Posted in Amnesty, Peace Processes, Transitional Justice, Uganda | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Path Towards Prosecution: An End to Amnesty in Northern Uganda

Mark Schenkel joins us for this insightful and thought-provoking guest-post on the expiry of Uganda’s Amnesty Act and its implications for transitional justice in northern Uganda. Mark is a Dutch journalist based in Kampala, Uganda. He covers developments in East … Continue reading

Posted in Amnesty, Kwoyelo Trial, Transitional Justice, Uganda | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Tinker, Tailor, Lawyer: ICC Staff Arrested in Libya for “Spying”

I really hope John le Carré has read news of the arrest of four ICC staff members in Zintan while attempting to visit Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. A delegation, which includes an Australian lawyer, Melinda Taylor (media reports have not named any other … Continue reading

Posted in Libya, Libya and the ICC | Tagged , | 4 Comments

A Disturbing Tale: Canada’s Human Rights Record and Reputation

This past week the United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report into Canada’s human rights record. It wasn’t pretty. The Committee suggested that Canada was complicit in the torture of Canadian citizens post-9/11 and expressed concern at the “apparent reluctance on part … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Canada, Extraordinary Rendition, Guantanamo Bay, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Torture, War crimes | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Politics, a Poison for Justice?

Richard Dicker, the director of Human Rights Watch recently wrote an interesting op-ed in the New York Times, provocatively entitled ‘A Flawed Court in Need of Credibility‘. Ten years ago, when the treaty creating the International Criminal Court took effect, … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Law, Malawi, Sudan | Tagged | 12 Comments

Has Social Media Successfully Reinvented Social Activism?

This week I had the honour to participate in a debate at the historic Oxford Union on whether “social media has successfully reinvented social activism”. The relationship between social media and social activism has become a critically important subject in the … Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Advocacy, Iran | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments