Category Archives: International Criminal Justice

Justice for the Disappeared in Gaza: It’s Time to Investigate Enforced Disappearances as a Crime Against Humanity

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Mark Kersten

In late September 2024, a container was brought into Gaza from Israel on a truck. Inside were the bodies of eighty-eight Palestinians killed during Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip. Who were they? No one appeared to know and those … Continue reading →

Posted in Enforced Disapperances, Gaza, Hamas, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC | 1 Comment

An Important Past: Since Hitler, Heads of State have No Immunity 

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Mark Kersten

The following guest post was written by Dan Plesch, Professor of Diplomacy and Strategy at SOAS University of London and a Door Tenant at the Chambers of Stephen Kay KC at 9 Bedford Row. His books include, ‘Human Rights After … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, Guest Posts, Historical Justice, International Court of Justice, International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Justice, United Nations | Tagged | 1 Comment

International Justice Day: Inspiring Developments in International Criminal Justice, Complementarity, and trends at the ICC

Posted on July 17, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Dear all, I thought some JiC readers might find this podcast interview that I did with the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect to be of interest. During the interview, I reflect on current trends in international criminal justice. … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Universal Jurisdiction, Wayamo Foundation, West Africa | Leave a comment

ICC warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders won’t bring peace. But it’s beyond time to give justice a chance.

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Whenever the International Criminal Court (ICC) opens an investigation into an ongoing war, versions of the following question will inevitably be asked: Does the pursuit of accountability risk leaving the warring parties with no incentive but to continue the fight? … Continue reading →

Posted in "Peace versus Justice" Debate, Gaza, Hamas, ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Peace Negotiations, Peace Processes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

An alleged Nazi was invited to Parliament. But why are there Nazis and war criminals in Canada in the first place?

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Last fall, Canadians were rightly appalled to learn that an alleged Nazi veteran had been invited to sit in the House of Commons and received a standing ovation from MPs across the political spectrum. The story was not left behind … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, War crimes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why it is wrong to say Israel could never commit Genocide: Victims of Atrocities can and do become Perpetrators of Atrocities

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Israel is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This was not inevitable, and reasonable people can disagree over whether the contemporary legal threshold of genocide has been met. But the suggestion that a state created by … Continue reading →

Posted in Dominic Ongwen ICC, Gaza, ICC Prosecutor, International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC | Leave a comment

International Law and the Stories We Tell: Reflections on International Law(yers), Narratives and the Situation in Israel-Palestine, Part One

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Barrie Sander joins JiC for this four-part series on what the situation in Israel and Palestine tell us about how we understand, construct, and tell stories about international law. Barrie is Assistant Professor of International Justice at Leiden University – … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaza, International Court of Justice, International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Israel, Palestine | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Genocide doesn’t “just happen” – Israel, Gaza and Genocide as a Process, not an Event

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Mark Kersten

Israel has now responded to South Africa’s allegations of genocide in Gaza. In its submissions at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel’s lawyers relied on a combination of legal and political arguments insisting that is not committing genocide. This is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaza, International Court of Justice, International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine, Palestine and the ICC, South Africa | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Currency of Diplomacy: A Speech Canada’s Commitment to International Law and Prosecuting International Crimes

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Mark Kersten

This week, I had the opportunity to speak before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in Ottawa. I spoke Canada’s piecemeal commitment to international law and to the prosecution of international crimes. I appeared … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Corruption, Gaza, Hybrid Courts, Hybrid Tribunals, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine, Transnational Organized Crime | Leave a comment

If not the ICC, then who? The need for an international investigation into atrocities in Israel and Palestine

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Mark Kersten

A version of this article was first published at Al Jazeera, here. The devastating explosion of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in central Gaza, in which the Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 500 people were killed, shows exactly why the International Criminal … Continue reading →

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, Israel, Palestine | 6 Comments