Category Archives: International Law

How Long Can the ICC Keep States in the Purgatory of Preliminary Examinations?

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Mark Kersten

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently told journalists that she would not provide a time-frame for the ICC’s preliminary examination into alleged war crimes perpetrated in Palestine during the 2014 war in Gaza. Officials in Israel … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaza, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Israel, Preliminary Examinations | 12 Comments

The Case for a Permanent Hybrid Tribunal for Mass Atrocities

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Mark Kersten

There is no point denying it. The current global production of mass atrocities far outweighs the tools and institutions that exist to respond to them. There is a far greater demand for, than supply of, international justice. We often hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Complementarity, Human Rights, Hybrid Tribunals, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), International Law | 6 Comments

The Responsibility to Protect isn’t Dead, but its Proponents’ Hubris has Wounded it

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Mark Kersten

It has been a decade since the international community endorsed the principle of “Responsibility to Protect.” But with hundreds of thousands dead in civil conflicts around the globe, it is clear that the expectations set by this doctrine are not … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, Libya, Responsibiltiy to Protect (R2P), Syria | 9 Comments

Administering Justice: An Interview with the ICC Registrar

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Mark Kersten

Shehzad Charania, Legal Advisor and Head of the International Law Team for the British Embassy in The Hague, joins JiC once again, this time for an interview with ICC Registrar Herman von Hebel. Shehzad spoke to von Hebel about why … Continue reading →

Posted in ICC Registry, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Interview, Interviews | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Canada’s Back: Let it be – and have – an Ambassador of International Justice

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Mark Kersten

Human rights and international justice advocates around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief this past week. After ten years in power, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper was replaced in a massive defeat at the hands of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Human Rights, International Criminal Justice, International Law | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Sudan, South Africa and the future of the International Criminal Court in Africa

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Mark Kersten

Many believe Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir is the person most responsible for the alleged genocide in Darfur. As such, he isn’t supposed to travel freely around the world. But this past June, Bashir visited South Africa for an African Union … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), Darfur, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, South Africa, Sudan | 8 Comments

How the Canadian Government’s Pursuit of ‘Justice’ Makes Canadians and the World Less Secure

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Mark Kersten

Canada currently finds itself in the midst of a historically long election. Perhaps more so than any other campaign in recent memory, the world is paying attention. Will Canadians re-elect a government that has tarnished the country’s global reputation on … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Human Rights, International Law, Justice, Terrorism, War crimes | Tagged | 3 Comments

Laying the Blame: Justice in Syria Just Got a Bit More Likely

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Mark Kersten

Anyone would be excused for believing that things in Syria may get worse before they get better. Millions of civilians live in daily fear for their security. Those who manage to escape do so to a new kind of hell … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, ISIS, Islamic State, Israel, Justice, Russia, Syria, UN Security Council | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

A New War Crimes Court is Born, but Who is Responsible in Kosovo?

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Mark Kersten

Aidan Hehir joins JiC for this critical examination of Kosovo’s war crimes tribunal and the need to pursue accountability for all parties directly and indirectly responsible for mass atrocities in the country. Aidan is a Reader in International Relations at … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, Guest Posts, International Criminal Justice, International Law, Kosovo, Serbia, Transitional Justice | Tagged , | 6 Comments

When International Criminal Justice and FIFA Collide

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Mark Kersten

They may seem like bizarre bedfellows, but the worlds of international criminal justice and football / soccer have collided on a number of rather awkward occasions. In light of all the hoopla from last week’s dramatic arrest of a handful … Continue reading →

Posted in ICC Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Justice, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Special Court for SIerra Leone (SCSL) | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments