International Criminal Law at the Crossroads: From Ad Hoc Imposition to a Treaty Based Universal System
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ON INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE, pp. 161-177, C. Stahn, L. van den Herik, eds., The Hague, 2010
9 Pages Posted: 13 Dec 2011
Date Written: December 12, 2011
Abstract
The era of the ad hoc tribunals is over. For most of us this is good news. Ad hoc international criminal justice was always characterized, with differences in degree, by the violation of a universal principle of law, namely the principle of nullum crimen sine lege. While one may argue about the correct - strict or liberal interpretation - of this principle, its existence as such is not in doubt. In fact, the International Military Tribunal at Nurernberg had already recognized it as a (subjective) principle of justice.
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