Introduction to International Criminal Law (LAW236H1S)

Note: This course satisfies the International/Comparative/Transnational course requirement.

Accountability for serious international crimes has become much more central to international relations over the last 30 years, with the establishment of various international tribunals and courts, the International Criminal Court (ICC), international investigative mechanisms and the push for national prosecutions.  International criminal law and its application has become a focal point of discussion currently at the international level in relation to the current conflicts in Ukraine and the middle east and the situation in other countries such as Myanmar.  This course introduces students to the relevant international law, its development and its application.  It will engage in real factual scenarios from the international prosecution of cases arising from conflicts such as those in Rwanda, the Former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone and from situations before the ICC.  In doing so, it will draw upon the practical realities of prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide before international tribunals.