International Justice

The course of International Criminal Law seeks to provide an overview of the background and main developments of this area of International Law over the last 50 years. By studying and understanding the origins of this area following World War II, the course will center on the foundational idea that justice is a key component of peace, and that seeking accountability for the commission of the most heinous crimes which - paraphrasing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) - “deeply shock the conscience of humanity”, is of paramount importance to ensuring the survival of the international Rule of Law. Throughout this course, we will also dissect the legal elements and components of the four crimes under international law; namely, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression. We will rely on leading cases for this analysis, both at International Criminal Tribunals – including the ICC – as well as domestic or hybrid courts.