Setting up an International Criminal Tribunal

by admin on March 29, 2011

Criminal conduct is punished in a variety of different ways, from imprisonment to penalties to community service. If you do something illegal and are caught for it, you are punished. In recent times, efforts have been made to set up an international criminal tribunal that has the authority to judge individuals regardless of their countries of origin. A tribunal of this sort is designed to judge those who have committed acts of genocide, war crimes, torture, and other actions that typically occur in armed conflicts throughout the world.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) by Alkan de Beaumont Chaglar

The International Criminal Court is currently set up in The Hague, Netherlands. However, the proceedings for a hearing can occur anywhere else. Procedures for investigations, enforcement of law, and other procedures are outlined within the Rome Statute. Over a hundred countries are currently members of the international criminal court, and this court is not affiliated with the UN. However, in some cases the UN may refer to the international criminal court to resolve an issue that has alarmed the international community.

The international criminal court will not act unless it is absolutely necessary. If a national judicial system can carry out a hearing effectively and genuinely, then the international criminal court will probably not get involved. Also, it is important to remember that the international criminal court only accepts the gravest cases concerning crimes against humanity, genocide, and other such actions.

International criminal court was essentially created to keep the perpetrators of atrocious acts from getting away with them. Over the past century hundreds if not thousands of such acts were committed. Having an international criminal court available to try individuals accused of such acts can help to provide retribution.

An international tribunal can only try an individual if the national judicial system with jurisdiction is unable or unwilling to judge him/her. A state that is unable to carry out a hearing is one that has experienced the collapse of its legal system. A state that is unwilling means authorities might be purposely protecting accused individuals. In either case, the international criminal court has the right to intervene and claim jurisdiction.

Separate from the international criminal court are the temporary tribunals established by the UN. These are temporary tribunals in which the perpetrators of specific war crimes are tried and sentenced. The international criminal court, on the other hand, was established to remain in service for as long as possible.

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International Criminal Law

by admin on March 29, 2011

When discussing international criminal law, it is important to understand that there are various opinions held by the international community on whether or not specific actions should be considered as crimes. International criminal law deals specifically with the prosecution of individuals and groups held responsible for things like genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Prosecution is often carried out in an international criminal tribunal, and can be held in various places, although the official international criminal court is located in the Netherlands. Throughout history there have been atrocious occurrences that needed to be settled in an international court of law.

Canadian Criminal Law by umjanedoan

There are 114 members of the international criminal court, and this includes most of Europe, Africa, and South America. In order for an investigation and prosecution to be performed in an international criminal court, the crime has to have been committed by an individual who is from a member state or committed within a member state. In some situations, the United Nations Security Council can refer a case to an international criminal court as well. The procedures for investigating and prosecuting individuals are outlined within the Rome Statute, which governs basically everything to do with how hearings are carried out in an international criminal court.

The international criminal court has the authority to order reparation for specific crimes. That is to say, an international criminal court can order a criminal to pay for crimes committed against a particular victim or the families of said victim. International law in general is quite different from the laws set in place by individual nations. It was organized primarily so that countries could govern conduct between themselves, and is mostly important in situations where large groups are involved. Individuals, on the other hand, are usually judged by state courts.

International criminal law is constantly evolving and new investigations are ongoing. To gain a more in-depth understanding of international criminal law, you might want to look into past trials that were held in international criminal courts. Studying these cases can help you to get a good idea of the type of procedures that are typically involved in an international court case. There are many different laws and regulations, but most of them are related specifically to atrocities considered to be extremely unjust. You should also consider dropping by some of the following sites to get a closer look at international criminal law and how it is applied.

Sites

http://www.law.duke.edu/lib/researchguides/intclaw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_criminal_law

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