After the establishment of temporary criminal tribunals and following fifty years of development, the 2002 creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) reflected the need for a permanent international criminal tribunal. In the following years, the ICC’s failure to issue arrest warrants for any individual who was not from the African continent, and its apparent deference to Western powers, has been widely criticized by the international community. However, the ICC’s recent issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity represents a historic shift. The ICC has since issued an arrest warrant for former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for a crime against humanity.

This 3-hr course will explore the history of the ICC and examine its effectiveness in bringing those who commit the worst atrocities to justice.

Moderated by Dean Marjorie Cohn.