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 Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo headed to FIFA

So that came out of left field. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo will become FIFA’s ethics and corruption czar. As most readers will likely know, Moreno-Ocampo’s tenure at the ICC is coming to a close. In mid-June he is due … Continue reading

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Sport | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Welcoming new JiC Co-Author, Alana Tiemessen!

Dear Readers, It is with great pleasure and excitement that I introduce to you, Alana Tiemessen, who has joined JiC as a new co-author. Many will already be familiar with Alana’s work on transitional justice, international criminal justice and lawfare … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Justice for Sexual Violence and Gender Crimes in Argentina

The following is a guest-post on gender and sexual violence as crimes against humanity and torture in the context of Argentina’s Dirty War by Mariana Rodriguez Pareja and Alia Al-Khatib, who is a human rights activist and Vassar Maguire Fellow in … Continue reading

Posted in Argentina, Crimes against humanity, Sexual Violence, Torture | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Justice in Libya: Investigating NATO?

A recent report released by Human Rights Watch, entitled “Unacknowledged Deaths: Civilian Casualties in NATO’s Air Campaign in Libya”, has called upon NATO to thoroughly investigate any of its air strikes in Libya last year that killed civilians. NATO reacted sharply, … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, NATO | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

LRA Commander, Caesar Achellam, “Captured” – Some (Mostly Skeptical) Thoughts

In what has generally been reported as a “major coup” for African Union forces – and by extension the KONY2012 faithful – a senior LRA commander, Caesar Achellam was detained over the weekend while crossing the border between the Democratic … Continue reading

Posted in Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Uganda | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

The ICC in Libya: Beyond Peace vs. Justice

This post is my contribution to a timely symposium being held at the Canadian International Council on the “peace versus justice” debate. I encourage you to check out other contributions to the symposium from Leslie Vinjamuri, Alana Tiemessen and Stephen Brown, … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3) | 4 Comments

Impunity Rules: Libya Passes Controversial Amnesty Law

While haggling between the ICC and Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) over the fate of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi continues, Libya quietly, but controversially, passed a blanket amnesty for pro-Revolution rebels. According to Lawyers for Justice in Libya … Continue reading

Posted in Amnesty, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC | 15 Comments

Guatemala Ratifies the Rome Statute and the “Dos Erres Massacre” Trials Continue

Mariana Rodriguez Pareja and Salvador Herencia Carrasco join JiC again with this fascinating guest-post on Guatemala’s ratification of the Rome Statute and the country’s ongoing legal and political struggles to address the past and achieve justice.  Ratification done, implementation next? On April … Continue reading

Posted in Guatemala, Guest Posts, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Latin America, Rome Statute ratifications | 3 Comments

Playing to Lose: A Game of Hide-and-Seek with Kony

In the game of hide-and-seek, having a limited and mutually agreed upon physical space in which both the hider and the seeker participate is essential. When a child plays hide-and-seek with their parents, they don’t move into the next house, … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, United States | Tagged | 2 Comments

Charles Taylor Verdict: Some Thoughts and Controversies

The triumphant and celebratory rhetoric is in full bloom. Many have claimed that the guilty verdict for former Liberian President Charles Taylor was a huge victory, a milestone in the fight against impunity and an unprecedented achievement for international justice and … Continue reading

Posted in Justice, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Special Court for SIerra Leone (SCSL), Transitional Justice | Tagged , , | 1 Comment