Much of the history of humanity is the story of the failures of justice in its struggle against the impunity of the perpetrators of the most serious crimes against the international community. Paradoxically, the perpetrators of these crimes were never brought to trial because the states were incapable even of initiating criminal action against the authorities that instigated or were responsible for these grave crimes.
Essentially, human rights law and international humanitarian law or the law of armed conflict, as the parts of international law that regulate the protection of the individual against abuses of power and the conduct of international subjects during conflict or in relation to the latter, establish an effective system for guaranteeing their compliance in the sense that breach of their regulations constitutes an unlawful or illegal act that generates a responsibility and, where applicable, the imposition of a penalty.
However, the existence of international criminal courts does not release states from their primary duty of exercising their criminal jurisdiction to bring to trial those responsible for international crimes in order to put an end to the "culture of impunity".
The four conventions of 1949 (article 1) and Protocol I of 1977 (article 1.1) establish the commitment of the State Parties to respecting and ensuring respect for its provisions in all circumstances.
The four conventions of 1949 establish a very precise obligation to be carried out by the State Parties: "to take any legislative measures necessary to establish adequate penal sanctions to be imposed on persons who have committed or have ordered to be committed any grave breaches" of the conventions.
The aim of this course is to give participants a general knowledge of the system on which international criminal justice is based, providing essential knowledge for those who work or would like to work in international relations, the legal profession or in the fields of international criminal law or international cooperation in the future.
List of topics
| 2. |
Evolution and principles of international criminal justice |
| 3. |
Ad-hoc international criminal courts |
| 4. |
Protection in the internal criminal system |
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See complete syllabus
Price
1.010 euros
Consult the financial aid that the UOC offers to international students.
The programme fees should be confirmed on enrolment.
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