September 2024 - October 2026
Study Mode
Part-time
Application start 1 February 2024
Application end 31 May 2024
All the courses listed on this page represent those for the current academic year.
International criminal law has developed dramatically since the early 1990s, and now consists of a complex system involving national courts with international participation, alternative transitional justice mechanisms like truth commissions, and temporary or ad hoc international courts. The International Criminal Court sits at the centre of this. This course reviews the origins of international criminal law, its relationship with the international legal order including the UN Security Council and its coexistence with national justice institutions. The scope of international crimes – genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression – is considered alongside initiatives to expand or add to these categories.
This course examines and discusses the main criminal jurisdictions fostering individual legal accountability for international crimes. It will discuss the role of national courts in the fight against impunity, including on the basis of universal criminal jurisdiction. It will also review the various international and hybrid criminal tribunals, with a particular emphasis on the International Criminal Court and its mandate.