In association with the International Commission of Jurists

Search: Affective Justice: Book Symposium: A Response

26 May

...What about when key infrastructure like bridges are systematically destroyed, thereby impeding the delivery of food, humanitarian aid, and medical supplies? Again, larger scale, archive-wide investigations can better encompass the full scope, impact, and experience of such documented harms. The current global justice reality simply is not adequate to meet the demands implicit in the extensive quantity — and quality — of content that documenters continue to share open source, from a variety of places and contexts. In today’s justice dynamic, civil society has already stepped up in unprecedented ways,...
26.05.21 | |

18 May

I want to call readers’ attention to a remarkable new report on international criminal justice authored by Daniel McLaughlin, a former legal officer at the ECCC, for Fordham’s Leitner Center for International Law & Justice. As the introduction states, the report is an attempt — a very successful one — to visualize information about the criminal tribunals: There is wide awareness, though little true understanding, of the work of the international criminal tribunals. International prosecutions of high-ranking civilian and military leaders, including former heads of state, on charges of crimes...
18.05.13 | |

21 Jul

meaning to the maxim justice delayed is justice denied. I have just returned from visiting the courts of Kenya in Nairobi in conjunction with my training program with IJM Office in Kenya. During my time with IJM, I was briefed on cases in which it took years for criminal defendants to receive basic judicial process. For example, in one disturbing case the defendant was framed by a corrupt policeman. The officer demanded a bribe that the defendant could not pay, so in retaliation the officer falsely accused the defendant of...
21.07.06 | |

25 Aug

...UN’s World Food Programme cutting their food rations, and with the deteriorating security situation inside the camps, many Rohingya find themselves in a dire situation with impunity being but one of many pressing concerns. Through its offices in Cox’s Bazar, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) provides legal assistance and support to Rohingya survivors in these refugee camps. Having been deported en masse to Bangladesh, and without a fair legal remedy available within Myanmar, Rohingya survivors are forced to rely on pathways for justice outside of Myanmar. A variety of efforts on...
25.08.23 | |

29 Jun

as a whole. She also emphasised that many participating victims (of which there are now 600) believe that justice and accountability for historic crimes in Darfur are central to the creation of lasting peace in Sudan. Therefore, she suggested that the ICC consider continuing gathering evidence during the current conflict for use in future prosecutions, both as a way to deter further violations and to give those affected hope that perpetrators of the current violence will be brought to justice.  Highlights of Testimonies of Participating Victims  Voices of participating victims...
29.06.23 | |

11 Jan

[Indira Rosenthal is a legal consultant in international human rights law and international criminal law, with specialisms in women’s human rights, gender justice, law reform and access to justice. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania, Australia, researching possible impacts of (mis)understandings of ‘gender’ on accountability for atrocity crimes at the ICC.] As the ICC ‘s third decade and the term of its third Prosecutor, Karim Khan, get underway, forensic examination of its every move continues unabated. This includes its record on investigation...
11.01.22 | |

02 Apr

[Darryl Robinson is an Associate Professor at Queen’s University Faculty of Law (Canada), specializing in international criminal justice.] I am deeply grateful to each of the contributors for their excellent additions to the conversation.  One of the themes of Justice in Extreme Cases is the important of deliberation in figuring out a framework for moral principles.  I agree with and welcome the counterpoints and questions advanced by the contributors.  Rather than a typical “response” piece, I will here summarize and celebrate the caveats or concerns that they have raised. Elies van...
02.04.21 | |

14 Feb

...who secured the conviction by smuggling evidence out of Syria, acting as joint plaintiffs and reliving unimaginable horrors in front of their former tormentor, all at considerable risk to their own welfare and that of their families. However, their victory is bittersweet. As victims’ associations stressed: our satisfaction at this verdict is overshadowed by our long and continuing suffering as we seek our missing loved ones and demand justice for the crimes against us. This important conviction is just a first step on the long and arduous path toward justice....
14.02.22 | |

20 Apr

...the somewhat transactional relationship that the USA enjoys with the rest of the world on matters related to justice for the worst atrocities—it appears to act on such atrocities only when it suits its national interests rather than because it is the morally right thing to do. Since George Washington’s infamous 1796 Farewell Address, American foreign policy has prided itself in its ability to maintain the much-needed delicate balance between self-interest and morality. The latter has always been postured as an anchor for the observance of good faith and justice...
20.04.21 | |

18 Apr

...is that the Justices themselves apparently do not think the decision will necessarily cut off ATS claims in such a comprehensive manner. Justice Kennedy writes that the decision “leave[s] open a number of significant questions regarding the reach and interpretation of the Alien Tort Statute”; and even Justices Alito and Thomas acknowledge, with evident regret, that the Court’s opinion “obviously leaves much unanswered” (emphasis added). What is the “much” that the Court does not answer? The “number” of “significant” questions that remain unresolved? If only it were as “obvious[]” as...
18.04.13 | |

02 Jun

...Playbook for Reinstating the Rule of Law”: 20–21 June 2024 at the University of Freiburg, Germany. As part of the Excellence Cluster Initiative “Constitution as Practice in Times of Transformation” (ConTrans), the two-day conference sheds light on the transition process back to the rule of law in Poland from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. Further information as well as a livestream can be found here. Nottingham International Criminal Justice Conference : The field of international criminal justice is diverse and constantly evolving. International criminal justice continues to be viewed as...
02.06.24 | |

05 Aug

In my post on the detention of Melinda Taylor and her team, I mentioned that the “guard” planted by the Libyan government to spy on the OPCD’s official meeting with Saif first intervened when Saif tried to sign a statement describing his attitude toward the Libyan criminal-justice system. I thought readers might be interested in the statement itself: Unsigned statement/sentiments from Mr, Saif Al Islam Gaddafi 7 June 2012, Zintan 1. I want to face justice. 2. I want to do so because I believe that Libya, the victims in...
05.08.12 | |