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.

The UN Security Council and the ICC: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

What are the implications of the UN Security Council referring situations to the International Criminal Court? Judging by most accounts of UN Security Council referrals of the situations in both Darfur and recently Libya to the ICC, referrals are a … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, Sudan, Transitional Justice, UN Security Council | 5 Comments

The Justice and Legality of bin Laden’s Assassination: Is What is Legal Necessarily Just?

The debate rages on: was the assassination of bin Laden the right thing to do? What is it the legal thing to do? Was it “justice”? In my assessment, the vast majority of the debate regarding the assassination of bin … Continue reading

Posted in Justice, Osama bin Laden, Osama bin Laden and international law | 1 Comment

Bin Laden and International Law: Death or Trial?

A debate regarding the legality of killing Osama bin Laden is raging across the internet. Everyone wants to know: was the assassination of bin Laden in accordance with international law? Yesterday, I weighed in on the broader question of whether … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, International Criminal Court (ICC), Iraq, Osama bin Laden and international law, Terrorism, United States | 6 Comments

The “Justice” of Killing bin Laden and What it Means for Gaddafi

Last night, President Barack Obama announced to eager audiences around the world that America’s most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, had been assassinated. Obama described bin Laden’s death by declaring that “justice has been done.” People around the globe are … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Libya and the ICC, Middle East, Osama bin Laden, Pakistan, Terrorism | 11 Comments

No Joke: States Praised Libya’s Human Rights Record in 2010 UN Report

Last night, I attended a lecture by Louise Arbour, the former Chief Prosecutor at the ICTY and ICTR, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and former Supreme Court Justice in Canada. Arbour reminded the audience of something that piqued … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, Libya, Universal Periodic Review (UPR) | 6 Comments

France and Italy Call for Closed EU Border: An Abrogration of Moral Responsibility

Readers of Justice in Conflict will know that the posts rarely, if ever, step out of the bounds of issues concerning transitional justice and conflict resolution. Sometimes, however, issues that aren’t directly related to either are so morally outrageous that … Continue reading

Posted in Europe, European Union (EU), France, Immigration, Italy | 3 Comments

Syria and the International Criminal Court: Taking Justice Seriously

Syria has gone from bad to worse. According to reports, hundreds of peaceful, pro-democracy protesters have now been killed by authorities cracking down on any attempt to undermine the regime. This statement, or something approximating it, has probably been written … Continue reading

Posted in Egypt, International Criminal Court (ICC), Middle East, Syria, Transitional Justice, Tunisia | 6 Comments

Libya, Peace and Justice: Murky Options

One of the few realities of violent political conflicts across contexts is that fully “good” options are in rare supply. In a recent post, I attempted to articulate some of the tensions surrounding the pursuit of justice in Libya, on … Continue reading

Posted in African Union (AU), European Union (EU), Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Libya, Peace Negotiations, Transitional Justice | 2 Comments

The Tides of Justice: Egypt set to join the ICC

Oh, how things change! Today Egypt declared its intentions to join the ICC. Its position towards Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir remains conflicted and problematic. Nevertheless, Egypt’s turn towards international justice is a significant and positive development for proponents of international … Continue reading

Posted in Arab League, Darfur, Egypt, Human Rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), Middle East, Sudan, Transitional Justice | 6 Comments

Working at the ICC Linked to Hair Loss?

Kind of. Here’s the latest. According to Opinio Juris’ Twitter Account, next up the International Criminal Court will declare ‘Casual Fridays’. Nothing like practicing international criminal justice in a pair of slacks. Just a bit of light justice humour for … Continue reading

Posted in Humour, International Criminal Court (ICC) | 3 Comments