scholarly journals The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial and its Policy Consequences Today

2020 ◽  

Justice Robert H. Jackson, plenipotentiary for planning the Allies trial at the International Military Tribunal, called the trial “one of the most significant tributes ever paid by power to reason.” In Justice Jackson’s opening statement he made it clear that the trial at Nuremberg was to mark a new beginning in human history; that Nuremberg would serve to establish principles that could serve as benchmarks for all human behavior. This revised and extended Edition seeks to address both the short-term effects of the International Military Tribunal and the current impact that the trials have had on international law. The first section of the book contains essays which are written by leading scholars such as Christoph J.M. Safferling, looking at German participation in the Nuremberg Trials, to Winifried R. Garscha’s examination of Austrian War Crimes Trials and the concept of “Violation of Human Dignity.” This section will also include an examination of the influence of Nuremberg on the Tokyo War Crimes Trial. The second section of the book addresses the present-day impact of Nuremberg on international law. This section contains essays on selective justice, human rights litigation, the creation of hybrid tribunals, with new essays addressing sexual and gender-based violence in conflict zones, as well as new work on the Nuremberg Project, located at Harvard University. The hope for this volume is that the spirit of Nuremberg will be revived. In the words of Henry T. King, Jr., who was a young lawyer serving at the IMT, stated in the preface, “A better and more peaceful world based on justice is within our grasp,(…), we have a golden opportunity to build a more secure future for generations to come.”

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-122
Author(s):  
Evelyn W. Kamau

AbstractThe increased domestication of international core crimes like genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes has placed national prosecutors and judges on unfamiliar ground. Specifically, though very welcome, the recognition of acts of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as constituting core international crimes poses a further challenge. The circumstances surrounding the commission of SGBV as international core crimes, coupled with their unique elements and manner of proof, makes their domestic prosecution seem that much more difficult. An understanding of how acts of SGBV constitute international core crimes, their constituent elements and the manner of proving them, coupled with how to treat victims and witnesses of SGBV, goes a long way in easing the perceived challenge of domestically prosecuting them. This article is geared towards achieving that and is directed at people who are involved in or are considering carrying out domestic prosecutions and adjudications of SGBV as international core crimes.


Author(s):  
Amrita Kapur

This chapter explores the opportunities present in the Rome Statute to promote justice for victims of sexual and gender-based violence in the International Criminal Court (ICC). It focuses on the concept of complementarity to show the ICC’s potential for reform and to catalyze the prosecution of international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes). It then describes the ICC’s broader approach to sexual violence and gender, as well as the domestic impact of this jurisprudence. The chapter concludes by suggesting that the Rome Statute’s standards should be introduced into national law. This could create broader benefits for women and victims of sexual and gender-based violence beyond the prosecution of criminal perpetrators.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Bharat H. Desai ◽  
Moumita Mandal

The advent of climate change era has been affirmed by various global processes including 21 May 2019 recognition by the Anthropocene Working Group of ‘human impact’ in bringing profound alterations on planet earth. It has emerged as the predominant ‘world problematique’. Though entire populations are affected by climate change, women and girls suffer the most. Due to their traditional roles, women are heavily dependent on natural resources. As already seen, as a consequence of natural disasters and during Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21, women have faced heightened real-life challenges specially being vulnerable to different forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). They suffer from a lack of protection, privacy, and mental trauma. Women are exposed to SGBV due to weak or absence of social, economic, political security and the culture of widespread impunity to the perpetrators. There is double victimization of women both as human beings and because of their gender. Effect of SGBV is highly injurious and perpetual. A close study of four main areas of international law does not yield any international legal instrument that deals with SGBV against women during and after the climate change induced disasters. This is more ominous when growing evidence suggests role of climate change in exacerbation of SGBV against women and girls. Even texts of the three specific climate change treaties (1992 UNFCCC, 1997 Kyoto Protocol and 2005 Paris Agreement) do not address this issue. It has been given attention only through the decisions of the Conference of the Parties in recent years. Due to serious psychological and bodily harm SGBV causes to women, it needs to be explicitly factored in respective international legal instruments on climate change and disasters. Amidst ignorance, denials and lack of adequate attention as regards impact of climate change in exacerbating SGBV against women and girls from the scholars and decision-makers in the field, this study makes a modest effort to deduce and analyze –from scattered initiatives, scholarly literature in different areas, existing international legal instruments and intergovernmental processes –the growing causal relationship between climate change and SGBV against women and girls so as to suggest a way out for our better common future. It is a new challenge to international law that needs to be duly addressed in a timely manner.


Author(s):  
Anne-Marie de Brouwer ◽  
Eefje de Volder

On 4 February 2021, the ICC's Trial Chamber IX found Lord Resistance Army's Commander Dominic Ongwen guilty for a total of 61 crimes comprising crimes against humanity and war crimes, including many conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence crimes, committed in Northern Uganda between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2005. On 6 May 2021, Dominic Ongwen was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for these crimes.<br/> In this Q&A we discuss this case with three renowned experts, namely Victoria Nyanjura (Survivor, Founder Women in Action for Women Uganda), Joseph Manoba (lawyer and Legal Representative for victims in the Ongwen case) and Lorraine Smith van Lin (independent victim's rights expert). By answering 11 questions, they provide insight in the complexity of this case, including how it is perceived by LRA victims and survivors in Uganda.


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