South Africa’s squandered chance to show real leadership

Instead of threatening to leave the International Criminal Court, SA should be fighting for global justice.

ICC Prosecutor’s policy on case selection: timely, but is it enough?

The new ICC policy paper on case selection and prioritisation is a step in the right direction, but does it really address current concerns?

The Zimbabwe torture docket decision and proactive complementarity

There is an essential supporting role for states to play in complementing the work of the ICC - especially where the ICC is unable to exercise jurisdiction.

Out of Africa? The Palestinian referral to the ICC

The Palestinian referral comes at a vital juncture in the history of the International Criminal Court.

Implications of the African Union's immunity for African leaders

Granting immunity from prosecution to heads of state and other senior officials in Africa is short sighted, and at odds with the AU's Constitutive Act

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South Africa's police must investigate Zimbabwe torture allegations

In a landmark ruling, South Africa's Constitutional Court confirmed that the police should investigate international crimes committed in other countries.

Universalising international criminal law: The ICC, Africa and the problem of political perceptions

The paper argues that the ICC's narrow application of international criminal law has given rise to a perception problem which threatens to undermine t

Africa must strengthen the International Criminal Court for its own sake

If states withdraw from the ICC, the message to victims, investors and the world will be that Africa's leaders are allergic to institutions of accountability.

The Geneva Conventions and South African law

Assessment of how South African law implements the Geneva Conventions

The wheels of international criminal justice grind slowly for Hissène Habré

The creation of a special court in Senegal to try Hissène Habré for his alleged crimes in Chad shows that tenacity pays off in the fight against impunity, and that international criminal justice can be done through states working together to bring tyrants to book.

Syria and the illusion of universal international criminal justice

A letter from Switzerland signed by 57 states calls for the UN Security Council to refer the Syrian situation to the International Criminal Court. This would benefit Syrian victims and show that international justice can be truly universal.