Peace negotiations are often driven by an urgent imperative: stop the violence. But when those accused of war crimes remain indispensable to reaching an agreement, efforts to secure peace can collide with demands for accountability. That tension has become increasingly visible as governments, private mediators, and other diplomatic actors seek negotiated solutions to conflicts while [...]
Search Results for: Charles Taylor
A Dark Horizon: Europe Must Lead as the Postwar Legal Order Frays
The international system stands at an inflection point. The simultaneous rise of strongman leadership in China, Russia and the United States—three states whose power shapes global order—has accelerated a worldwide retreat from liberal democracy, multilateralism and the rule of law. This trend is not isolated. It has emboldened authoritarian figures across the globe, weakened international [...]
An Opportunity for Justice: The New Aggression Tribunal for Ukraine
“The world no longer has a choice between force and law; if civilization is to survive, it must choose the rule of law.”—Paul Krugman Introduction The Council of Europe’s establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine represents a significant development in the international justice landscape. As nations grapple with the [...]
Human rights groups urge Liberia President Boakai to establish war crimes court
Human rights groups on Monday urged the Liberian president should renew his executive order to establish a war crimes court for crimes committed in the two Liberian civil wars. Adama Dempster, the secretary-general of the Civil Society Human Rights Platform of Liberia, demanded the establishment of a war crimes court, stating: Liberia’s quest to bring [...]
The Importance of Prosecuting President Vladimir Putin for the International Crime of Aggression
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has illuminated the critical need for accountability on the international stage, particularly regarding violations of sovereignty and acts of aggressive warfare. President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine not only pose a significant threat to global peace but also challenge the foundational principles of international law. Prosecuting Putin for the international [...]
The Taliban taking of Ryan Corbett, an interview with lawyers Ryan Fayhee and Kate Gibson
This interview provides an overview of advocacy efforts to secure the release of Ryan Corbett, a US citizen who the Taliban have detained in Afghanistan for over two years, his health deteriorating drastically as a result. JURIST’s Managing Editor for Long Form Content James Joseph interviewed Corbett’s Washington-based lawyer Ryan Fayhee and UK Barrister Kate [...]
In the first part of a two-part interview, JURIST’s Managing Editor for Long Form Content James Joseph interviews Professor David M. Crane, the Founding Chief Prosecutor of the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone and a JURIST Board of Directors Member, on solutions and next steps to stabilize the conflict in Ukraine. Professor Crane has [...]
Stephen Rapp, an American lawyer and diplomat, has been a leading figure in international criminal law and human rights. He was appointed as the US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues in 2009, overseeing investigations and prosecutions of war criminals worldwide. Rapp’s commitment to justice and ending impunity was evident during his tenure, supporting [...]
On August 21, 2023, Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv hosted a large international conference Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine: Justice to be Served. The conference gathered key figures behind Ukraine’s push to launch a special tribunal. The event was aimed at reinvigorating global efforts to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine, [...]
A UN Tribunal for Aggression in Ukraine Would Be a Global Game-Changer for Peace and Security
In the harrowing days of 1945, the world lay bleeding and breathless after years of all out war. It was a time of uncertainty regarding what happens next. Could mankind survive another world war? What was the pathway towards a more stable world, a world that would turn to dialog and discussion versus recrimination and [...]