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.

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

Diverging Trajectories: Social Media and #InternationalLaw

This week, Opinio Juris has organized a symposium on social media and international law in the wake of KONY2012. There are already a number of thought-provoking posts up, including this prescient piece by Charli Carpenter (see here too). The following … Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Advocacy, International Law, Social Media | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A New Deal: an ICC “Supervised” Trial for Saif Gaddafi in Libya?

The debate on how and where Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, is tried has taken a new and rather unexpected turn. The BBC has reported that a “Western official” told their correspondent that a … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Mauritania | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Defendants on the Run — What’s a Court to do?

Gillian McCall, a London-based researcher in international criminal law, joins JiC with a fascinating guest post on the question of whether trials in absentia are legitimate and legal. Gillian offers a glimpse into how the various international tribunals have treated … Continue reading

Posted in European Court of Human Rights, Guest Posts, ICTY, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Lebanon, Special Court for SIerra Leone (SCSL), Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Trials in Absentia | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Wikileaks’ Death Knell for Invisible Children’s KONY2012?

The most remarkable thing about Invisible Children’s KONY2012 campaign is just how spectacularly it has shifted from one controversy to another. When the film was first released, it was ripped by virtually every scholar and observer of northern Uganda and … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Peace Processes, Uganda | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Part 1: Saif Gaddafi, Libya and the ICC

Most readers will know by now that the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Court dismissed Libya’s ruling National Transition Council (NTC)’s application to try Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in Libya. Saif, of course, was indicted by the ICC in June 2011 … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, Libya, Libya and the ICC, Peacebuilding, The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3) | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The International Criminal Court and Deterrence – The ‘Lubanga Syndrome’

Niki Frencken joins JiC for this thoughtful post on deterrence in the wake of the Lubanga verdict. Niki is a freelance researcher, documentary maker and writer who has focused much of her work on conflict resolution and transitional justice in … Continue reading

Posted in Democratic Republic of Congo, Deterrence, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC) | Tagged , , | 1 Comment