Int'l Criminal
International criminal law concerns the most serious offences in international law, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, terrorism, slavery and torture. There have been remarkable developments in the field in recent years, including the landmark creation of the Rwanda and Yugoslavia tribunals which have made a huge contribution to international case law, and of the International Criminal Court, which will in the future adjudicate some of the most high-profile and serious criminal cases in the world.
The aim of international criminal law is to prevent impunity for the most serious crimes, those which shock the conscience of humankind. Key topics include the relationship between international criminal law, international humanitarian law and human rights law; international principles of jurisdiction and immunity; the role of international criminal tribunals in development of the law; the major crimes; and the criminalization of wartime sexual violence.