Research Guides: War Crimes Research Guide: International Courts & Tribunals

: Created by the Cambodian government and the U.N., but independent of them, this court is responsible for trying the serious crimes that were committed during the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975-1979.

International Criminal Court: Established in 1998 by the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. To date, 105 states has become parties to this statute. The ICC is a court of last resort and it will not act if a case is investigated or prosecuted by a national judicial system unless the national proceedings are not genuine.

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda: The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was established by the U.N. Security Council to contribute to the process of national reconciliation in Rwanda and the maintenance of peace in the region. The ICTR is responsible for prosecuting those persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994. It may also deal with the prosecution of Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations of international law committed in the territory of neighboring States during the same period.

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia: Located in The Hague, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established in May 1993 in recognition of the serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991. The Tribunal’s authority is to prosecute and try four clusters of offenses: grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions; violations of the laws or customs of war; genocide; and crimes against humanity.

Special Court for Sierra Leone: The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up jointly by the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations. It is mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in the territory of Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon was established by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1757 (2007). Unlike other international courts, this court’s activities are concerned with solely one incident, namely, the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 other people, which took place on Febuary 14, 2005. Its mandate does not cover any international crime except for those offenses defined under the Lebanese Penal Code. It was decided in late December 2007 that the Court will be based in The Hague. According to the Tribunal’s statute, the chambers will consist of one international pre-trial judge; three judges to serve in the trial chamber (one Lebanese and two international); five judges to serve in the appeals chamber (two Lebanese and three international); and two alternate judges (one Lebanese and one international). The Court does not yet have a website.
War Crimes Panel in Bosnia-Herzegovina: The War Crimes Panel was established in 2002 to assist the ICTY by trying cases involving suspected war criminals of lower to mid-level rank whose deeds were perpetrated in Bosnia. The Chamber operates within the framework of the Criminal Division of the State Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is headquartered in Sarajevo. The War Crimes Panel comprises of one judge from Bosnia-Herzegovina and two international judges. The judge from Bosnia-Herzegovina is always the Presiding Judge. It is anticipated that after an initial period of three years, the War Crimes Panel will have two judges from Bosnia and Herzegovina and one international judge.

War Crimes Research Guide

International Courts and Tribunals