Category Archives: International Law

Grey Zones: Is International Law Fit for Purpose to Protect Civilians?

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Mark Kersten

Mark Lattimer joins JiC for this post exploring whether the current state of international law is succeeding in its aim of protecting civilians. Mark is the Executive Director of the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights. He is co-editor (with Philippe Sands QC) of … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Posts, International Humanitarian Law, International Law | Tagged , | 2 Comments

A Graceful Exit for South Africa’s ICC Withdrawal Plans

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Mark Kersten

The following article was written by former UN High Commissioner, Navi Pillay, former Chief Prosecutor of the Rwanda and Yugoslavia tribunals, Richard Goldstone, and myself. Both Navi and Richard are members of the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability. A version of it first … Continue reading →

Posted in International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, Omar al-Bashir, South Africa | Tagged | 8 Comments

Mixing Immigration and Justice… Without Sacrificing One for the Other

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Mark Kersten

Below is an article I wrote, a version of which originally appeared in the Globe and Mail, on the increasingly blurred lines between immigration policy and international criminal justice. While the focus of the piece is on the Canadian experience and what the … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Guatemala, Immigration, International Criminal Justice, International Justice Ambassador, International Law, Refugees, Syria | 3 Comments

Re-Setting the Clock – South African Court Rules ICC Withdrawal Unconstitutional

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Mark Kersten

For proponents of the rule of law, today’s ruling that the South African government’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was unconstitutional is a major victory. Set aside opinions on membership in the ICC itself; the decision by the High Court in Pretoria defended something … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, African Union (AU), International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Justice, International Law, South Africa | 5 Comments

Peace and Justice in Colombia – I Fought the Law and the Law Won

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Mark Kersten

Mark Drumbl joins JiC for this post on the role and relevance of international law in the Colombia peace process. Mark is the Class of 1975 Alumni Professor of Law & Director, Transnational Law Institute, Washington & Lee School of … Continue reading →

Posted in Colombia, International Criminal Justice, International Law, Peace and Justice in Colombia Symposium | Tagged | 3 Comments

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