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ICC should take steps to improve enforcement of international justice: report

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The International Criminal Court (ICC) should take steps to improve the enforcement of international justice, according to a report issued Tuesday by Aegis Trust, an advocacy group dedicated to eliminating genocide. The report, entitled "The Enforcement of Criminal Law," proposes reforms that would improve enforcement, including:pooled financing, specialist units, a new treaty on crimes against humanity, an optional protocol to the Genocide Convention, and an increased role for the ICC in catalyzing domestic convictions, ... the plumbing of international justice requires much more work than the architecture.Highlights in the report also made reference to a changing US policy as demonstrated by recent offers from the Department of State to work with the ICC prosecutor on shared interests, as well as to Africa's mixed record. Finally, the report recognized the important results that have come from the efforts of non-governmental organizations. The report's release coincides with the eve of the ICC's decision on whether to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo sought the warrant in July 2008, accusing Al-Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes allegedly being committed in the Darfur region. Moreno-Ocampo made statements during a press conference in The Hague on Tuesday that among the very strong evidence documenting how Al-Bashir controlled and managed everything, the prosecution has 30 witnesses who are under protection. Al-Bashir has said that he and his government will disregard any ICC decision, despite calls from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in early February urging Al-Bashir to cooperate with any decision issued by the ICC.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 03, 2009 (boomark / email).