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.

$ome (Potentially Very) Bad News for the ICC

Over the last week, member states of the International Criminal Court have gathered in New York City. They had a lot on their plate: select a new Prosecutor, select a new set of judges and decide on the Court’s budget. … Continue reading

Posted in Assembly of States Parties, Funding, International Criminal Court (ICC) | 3 Comments

The Crime of Aggression: Beyond Kampala

Teddy Nicholson responds to posts by Patrick and myself on the crime of aggression. Enjoy! I am currently at the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC meeting in New York and, while aggression has not been high on the … Continue reading

Posted in Assembly of States Parties, Crime of Aggression, International Criminal Court (ICC) | Leave a comment

A Precarious Silence: North Korea and International Justice

Just about everyone who doesn’t live under a rock will know by now that the mercurial and mysteriously ‘ronery’ North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, has died. Yet, while the jokes and Team America references proliferate in the wake of Kim … Continue reading

Posted in Crimes against humanity, Czech Republic, Famine, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice, North Korea | Leave a comment

Thoughts from the 10th Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC

Teddy reports for JiC from New York, where the Assembly of States Parties’ meetings are currently under way. His focus in this post is on the complex process of electing six new ICC judges. Enjoy!  Thoughts from the 10th Session of … Continue reading

Posted in Assembly of States Parties, Elections, International Criminal Court (ICC) | Leave a comment

Transitional Justice and Graffiti in Libya

It may not be as ‘sexy’ as international trials or even truth commissions. It’s not as political or high-stakes either. Memorialization, however, is an essential element of transitional justice. In this context, a fascinating debate is taking place about what … Continue reading

Posted in Libya, Memorialization, Peace Processes, Transitional Justice | 6 Comments

The Crime of Aggression: Why (Not) Care?

As promised, here is my response to last week’s post on the crime of aggression. I had intended to have it ready earlier, but the dramatic events of last week (see here, here and here) have kept me occupied. I … Continue reading

Posted in Crime of Aggression, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice | 3 Comments

A Done Deal: Bensouda is Next ICC Prosecutor

According to Colum Lynch and a few other observers, Fatou Bensouda will become the next top Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court. Earlier this week, the ICC announced that the four short-listed candidates (Robert Petit of Canada; Andrew Cayley of … Continue reading

Posted in Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), Next ICC Prosecutor | 9 Comments

The ICC Nabs its First Head of State: Laurent Gbagbo Heading to The Hague

To all those who have bemoaned the International Criminal Court for its inability to lure heads of state before its judges: you have about a day or so to get it out of your system. If reports are correct, the … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Ivory Coast / Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast and the ICC | 2 Comments

Making War Illegal – The Crime of Aggression and the ICC

Over the next few days, we will be publishing three pieces on the crime of aggression. With the first post, JiC welcomes Teddy Nicholson, an MSc International Relations student at the LSE with an avid interest in the subject. In … Continue reading

Posted in Crime of Aggression, International Criminal Court (ICC), Nuremberg Trials, UN Security Council | 2 Comments

Beyond Criminal Justice: A Truth Commission in Libya

A fascinating debate about where to try the two surviving members of theTripoli Three – Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi – is currently raging (see here, here and here). It’s an important debate, and, as readers will know, I … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, The Tripoli Three (Tripoli3), Traditional Justice Mechanisms, Transitional Justice, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, Truth Commission | Leave a comment