International Crimes and the Ad Hoc Tribunals

Abstract

Abstract The contribution of the ad hoc tribunals to international criminal law and international justice has been manifold, both academically and historically, and they will continue to influence the findings and decisions of many other courts (both domestic and international), provoking discussion for many years to come. This volume provides the first comprehensive analysis of the law of international crimes as applied by the ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. This book examines the legal and historical significance of some of the most important judicial developments to occur in the last fifty years in international criminal law. It states the law of the tribunals, and provides concrete illustrations of the application of the law to a variety of criminal cases, providing a comprehensive and detailed analysis of this voluminous body of jurisprudence. The primary focus is on the jurisdiction ratione materiae of the tribunals: the definition and application of the law of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. However, it also examines the tribunals’ jurisdiction ratione personae, insofar as this enables a full understanding of the law of crimes (for instance, in relation to forms of criminal liability).