The book considers human rights approaches to crimes from a theoretical and practical perspective, analyses various crimes under international law, and examines the application, implementation and enforcement of international criminal law.
This book takes a procedural approach to human rights guarantees in international criminal proceedings and covers both the systems of the ad hoc Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and the International Criminal Court. It analyses the rights conferred on individuals involved in international criminal trials from the commencement of investigations to the sentencing stage, as well as the procedural rights of victims and witnesses. The study focuses on problems which have emerged in three main areas: (i) length of proceedings; (ii) absence of specific sanctions and other remedies for violation of procedural rules; (iii) the need to strengthen the protection of the accused from undue interference with his rights (likely to be caused by a variety of factors, such as conflicting governmental interests, the presence of malicious witnesses, or inadequate legal assistance). Three general suggestions are made to reduce the impact of these weaknesses. First, it could be helpful to adopt specific sanctions for violation of procedural rules (such as, the exclusion of evidence as a remedy for violations of rules on discovery). Secondly, (as has already been provided for in the ICC Statute,) the Prosecutor of the ad hoc Tribunals should play a proactive role in the search for the truth by, among other things, gathering evidence that might exonerate the accused. Thirdly, the right of compensation for unlawful arrest (or detention) and unjust conviction, provided forin the ICC Statute, should be extended to other serious violations of fundamental rights and, in addition, should be laid down in the Statutes of the ICTY and ICTR.
The book explores recent developments in the international and national prosecution of persons accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. It considers the relationship between national and international law, science and practice, with emphasis on the emerging principle of universial jurisdiction and the effect of "the war on terror" on legal norms.
"In The Right to Appeal in International Criminal Law Dražan Djukić describes appeal proceedings in international criminal law and evaluates them against human rights benchmarks. While international criminal courts and tribunals mainly comply with these benchmarks, they have fallen short in certain important areas. Despite their importance to the legal process, appeal proceedings tend to receive limited attention. On the basis of benchmarks arising from international human rights law, Dražan Djukić systematically assesses the law and practice concerning appeal proceedings in international criminal law"--
The United Nations has established a right to the truth to be enjoyed by victims of gross violations of human rights. The origins of the right stem from the need to provide victims and relatives of the missing with a right to know what happened. It encompasses the verification and full public disclosure of the facts associated with the crimes from which they or their relatives suffered. The importance of the right to the truth is based on the belief that, by disclosing the truth, the suffering of victims is alleviated. This book analyses the emergence of this right, as a response to an understanding of the needs of victims, through to its development and application in two particular legal contexts: international human rights law and international criminal justice. The book examines in detail the application of the right through the case law and jurisprudence of international tribunals in the human rights and also the criminal justice context, as well as looking at its place in transitional justice. The theoretical foundations of the right to the truth are considered as well as the various objectives appropriate for different truth-seeking mechanisms. The book then goes on to discuss to what extent it can be understood, constructed and applied as a hard, legally enforceable right with correlating duties on various people and institutions including state agencies, prosecutors and judges.
Dealing with the protection of human rights in international criminal proceedings, this book's basic assumption is that human rights are the yardstick against which to measure the conformity of international criminal proceedings with the rule of law and fundamental principles of justice.
An authoritative introduction to international criminal law written by renowned international lawyers, judges, prosecutors, criminologists and historians.
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the presumption of innocence from both a practical and theoretical point of view. Throughout the book a framework for the presumption of innocence is developed. The book approaches the right to presumption of innocence from an international human rights perspective using specific examples drawn from international criminal law. The result is a framework for understanding the right that is grounded in human rights law. This framework can then be applied across different national and international systems. When applied, it can help determine when the presumption of innocence is being infringed upon, eroded, violated, and ensure that the presumption of innocence is protected. The book is an essential resource for students, academics and practitioners working in the areas of human rights, criminal law, international criminal law, and evidence. The themes also have a more general application to national jurisdictions and legal theory.
This pioneering book explores the intersections of law and culture at the International Criminal Court (ICC), offering insights into how notions of culture affect the Court’s legal foundations, functioning and legitimacy, both in theory and in practice.