Category Archives: International Criminal Justice

Referring Kenya to the ICC Assembly of States Parties, Part 2: Implications for Cooperation and Enforcement

This is the second post in a three-part series in which Thomas Obel Hansen explores the recent referral of Kenya to the International Criminal Court’s Assembly of States Parties. The referral followed a finding by ICC Judges that the government … Continue reading

Posted in Assembly of States Parties, Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Kenya, Kenya and the ICC | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Referring Kenya to the ICC Assembly of States Parties, Part 1: A Battle for the Narrative

Last month, Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled that the government of Kenya had violated its obligations to cooperate with the ICC in the case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. In doing so, the Judges referred the issue … Continue reading

Posted in Assembly of States Parties, Guest Posts, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Kenya, Kenya and the ICC | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Prosecuting War Crimes in Syria: Many Tribulations, But No Trials (Yet)

This article was originally published as a contribution to Cicero Magazine. You can find the original article here. What the United States called Russia’s “barbarism” in Syria, the United Kingdom referred to as Moscow’s “war crimes”. Russia responded by stating … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Iraq, ISIS, Islamic State, Syria, Yazidi Genocide | 2 Comments

That Time the Bush Administration (Probably) Kiboshed Iraq’s ICC Membership

In recent weeks, the internet has featured hundreds of articles exclaiming the need to investigate atrocities perpetrated in Iraq. Many continue to insist that UK officials who are responsible for alleged war crimes during the British and American occupation of … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Iraq, ISIS, Islamic State, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States | 5 Comments

Big Fish or Little Fish — Who Should the International Criminal Court Target?

The trial of Ahmad al Faqi al Mahdi has exposed tensions over the kinds of perpetrators that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is expected to target. Al Mahdi, a member of Ansar Dine has pleaded guilty to the war crime … Continue reading

Posted in Ahmad Al Mahdi Al Faqi (Abou Tourab), Cultural Crimes, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Justice, Mali | 5 Comments

Some Thoughts on the al Mahdi Trial and Guilty Plea

For all interested readers, below are some thoughts that I shared in an interview with the University of Toronto News on the trial and guilty plea of Ahmad al Mahdi. JiC will have more analysis on this groundbreaking trial in … Continue reading

Posted in Ahmad Al Mahdi Al Faqi (Abou Tourab), Cultural Crimes, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Mali, War crimes | Tagged | 6 Comments

Offshore Justice: Could Australia End Up Facing the ICC for Abusing Asylum-Seekers?

Since 2013, the Australian government has taken a “zero tolerance” approach to individuals seeking to illegally migrate to Australia by boat. Irrespective of their situations or the dangers they may otherwise face, the government gives them a simple option: they … Continue reading

Posted in Asylum-Seekers, Australia, Crimes against humanity, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Nauru, Preliminary Examinations, Refugees | 1 Comment

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: The International Criminal Court and the Peace-Justice Debate

This article is a critical assessment of the scholarship and current state of the so-called “peace versus justice” debate. It is largely based on findings from my new book, which seeks to assess the impacts of the ICC on ending … Continue reading

Posted in "Peace versus Justice" Debate, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Justice, Peace Negotiations, Peace Processes, Peacebuilding | 7 Comments

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the International Criminal Court, But Were Too Afraid to Ask

Perhaps you’re a journalist with an unfortunate penchant for referring to the ICC as “the World Court” (sorry, that’s the ICJ) or suggesting that it will hear cases related to decades-ago atrocities (nope, temporal jurisdiction is a thing). Or maybe you’re a student … Continue reading

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

A Comment In Defence of Luis Moreno-Ocampo

One of the most rewarding aspects of writing in the public domain is the feedback and commentary it generates — even, perhaps especially, when it’s critical. In response to my earlier post on former chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s record at … Continue reading

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Luis Moreno-Ocampo | 4 Comments