Welcome, my name is Carsten Stahn. I am professor of International Criminal Law and Global Justice at the Grotius Centre for International <br>Legal Studies of Leiden University. Thank you for joining the course. In the following weeks, we will explore the investigation and prosecution of international crimes at the international<br>criminal courts and tribunals in The Hague. Justice, truce, and effective remedies are issues that matter <br>gravely to societies affected by conflict. We will discuss how we're moving to a new age of accountability. This term was used by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2010 at the Kampala Review Conference of the International Criminal Court. The theory is that in this age of accountability, those who commit the worst of human crimes are held accountable irrespective of whether they are rank-and-file foot soldiers, military commanders, low civil servants, or top political leaders. But how can this be done and is this realistic? The Hague has become a symbol of hope for better international society. In this course, we will study how <br>accountability comes to life in international criminal tribunals. Hague courts and tribunals are set to be part of a new turn to accountability. But criminal trials are in many ways <br>imperfect. They analyze historical events, many through the lens of crimes. They're highly selective. They reflect only a fraction <br>of incidents and charges. Judgements reveal at best one among multiple truths. Proceedings are frequently criticized for being too long and too costly. Some trials are perceived as show trials. They might even heighten tension in local communities, as shown by reaction to Hague trials in Balkans or Africa. Sometimes a judgement may produce injustice. In this course, we will examine the <br>dilemmas and critiques I just mentioned. We will explore the merits and discontents of the age of accountability. We will take a look into the kitchen <br>of international criminal courts and tribunals in order to understand how international criminal justice works. We will analyze how it functions, what outcomes it produces, and how it can be improved. So what will we discuss in this course? In module one, we will start with an introduction to core concepts and foundations. We will study international crimes and foundations of liability. We will take into account experiences of the International Criminal Court which I will call the ICC from now on including the Lubanga case <br>the Court's first ever trial. It illustrates many of the challenges <br>that courts face in providing justice. In module two, we will examine justice institutions and the different stages of the justice process. We will study how major international criminal cases emerge and we'll cover the role of different actors in the process, including prosecutorial strategies and dilemmas. In module three, we will focus on the criminal process. We will study how a trial unfolds, and we we'll look into defense perspectives and the role of victims. In the final module, we will explore <br>how wrong can be remedied through trials and how international criminal justice can be improved. In order to study these questions it's important to understand what international criminal justice is. We should keep in mind that as a field of international law, international criminal justice <br>is a relatively young field. It is in many ways a body of law in the making. International Criminal Law developed mainly as a response to mass violations of human rights by states against citizens and persons within their territory. But unlike human rights law, it is not predominantly centered on obligations of states. The addressee of international criminal law is primarily the individual, as opposed to the state. This focus is essential in light of the context of crimes. In a normal setting, the state is typically the guardian of legality. In situations of massive human rights violations, state agents often turn into criminals. International criminal justice provides a means to pierce a veil of sovereignty. It serves as a shield against violations and as the sword to hold perpetrators accountable. There are numerous historical examples of international trials that you may be familiar with. The Nuremberg and <br>Tokyo Trials which tried German and Japanese leaders after World War II. The trial of Nazi leader Adolph Eichmann in Jerusalem. The trial of Saddam Hussein after the fall of the Iraqi regime. The trial against Slobodan Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, or Ratko Mladic before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Or the trial of Charles Taylor which <br>completed the work of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. A core foundation of the International Criminal Law is the principle of legality also called Nullum crimen sine lege, no crime without law. It means that a person can only face criminal punishment for an act criminalized by law. The standard is adjusted to the international setting and the basic test is whether the conduct is criminal according to the general principles of law recognized by the community of nations. Otherwise, it would have <br>been strangled at birth. But what is international criminal justice? We will see throughout this course that the three key elements of international criminal justice, international, criminal and justice are disputed and evolving. What constitutes an international crime? What is criminal conduct? What type of justice does international <br>criminal law seek to promote? We will study how international criminal law is applied to real life problems and how it can be improved. Multiple institutions apply international criminal law. In the coming weeks we will focus specifically on the international criminal courts and tribunals and their dynamics. We will take a look at their practice, including procedures for investigation and prosecution. The starting point of any investigation and prosecution is a crime. In the next video we will therefore, examine what constitutes a crime under international law. We will place a particular focus on the so-called core crimes. Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Please join me on this journey.
