Course Catalogue

Over the past two decades, the international community has taken significant steps to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the global community. Through the creation of international and hybrid tribunals, as well as the establishment of the permanent International Criminal Court (ICC), a renewed and increasingly robust system of international criminal justice has emerged—redefining the intersection between international law and global politics. This course introduces students to the foundational principles, institutions, and evolving challenges of international criminal law (ICL). In the first part, students will explore the historical evolution and theoretical underpinnings of ICL, including the legacy of the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals and the development of ad hoc tribunals in the 1990s, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Special attention will be given to the ICC—its jurisdiction, structure, and contemporary relevance. The second part of the course focuses on substantive aspects of international criminal law. Core crimes under the Rome Statute—genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression—will be analyzed in depth. The course also examines other international crimes such as piracy and terrorism, and engages with key legal issues including modes of individual criminal responsibility, head-of-state immunity, complementarity, and the tension between state sovereignty and international accountability. In addition to legal doctrine and historical precedent, the course will examine current and pressing case studies that illustrate the practical challenges and political significance of international criminal law in action. These include ongoing investigations and proceedings relating to the war in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza and Israel, and other recent conflicts and allegations of international crimes. Through these examples, students will gain insight into the role of ICL in contemporary global affairs and the constraints of enforcing accountability in real-world contexts. Throughout, students will engage critically with legal texts, judicial decisions, and academic commentary to develop a comprehensive understanding of how international criminal law functions as both a legal framework and a tool of global justice.