DDRO 25A67 - International Criminal Justice(s)

The 24 February 2022 full scale invasion of Ukraine. The 7 October 2023 attack and the Gaza war. The US Sanctions against the ICC Prosecutor and judges. The Sudanese civil war. The Trial of a Congolese warlord for crimes against humanity in Paris. International criminal law related issues seem to make the news on an

almost daily basis. While these events have shed light on international justice, they also reveal a lack of understanding of its rational and scope and led to manipulation and controversy.

The course deals with substantive, procedural and political issues relating to international criminal justice, its origins, reach, legitimacy, and articulation with (post-) conflict management and peace making. It covers historical and recent international and national efforts undertaken to address these crimes.

After presenting the framework and principles of international criminal justice, we will discuss contemporaneous issues. Experts and practitioners will be invited to contribute to equipping students with the tools necessary to understand the role and impact of justice in international affairs.

Interest for international affairs, with some prior knowledge and understanding of international relations, peace

and justice issues and the organization of the international community.

Although it is not an absolute pre-requisite, some basic legal training is a plus.

Evaluation will be based on 3 marks:

• Individual participation in class, active involvement and contribution to the group discussion (20%)
• 1 oral presentation aimed at presenting a topic or defending a position on an international justice related

question, together with a written paper of no more than 3 pages with an introduction of the topic and the

problematics, an outline of the presentation and a bibliography, to be sent in advance (40%).

• 1 written exam at the end of the semester 40%