Criminal Liability for Crimes Against Humanity as a Problem of International Law
PDF

Keywords

international law
crimes
humanity
liability
genocide
war crimes

How to Cite

Diallo, B. S. D. (2019). Criminal Liability for Crimes Against Humanity as a Problem of International Law. Przegląd Prawniczy Uniwersytetu Im. Adam Mickiewicza, 9, 77–83. https://doi.org/10.14746/ppuam.2019.9.05

Abstract

The article sets out the nature, the history and the general structure of the crime against humanity and provides a comprehensive analytical commentary of the elements of such crimes as a problem of international law. The contextual element determines that crimes against humanity involve either large-scale violence in relation to the number of victims or its extension over a broad geographic area (widespread), or a methodical type of violence (systematic). This excludes random, accidental or isolated acts of violence. In addition, Article 7(2) (a) of the Rome Statute determines that crimes against humanity must be committed in furtherance of a State or organizational policy to commit an attack. The plan or policy does not need to be explicitly stipulated or formally adopted and can, therefore, be inferred from the totality of the circumstances. In contrast with genocide, crimes against humanity do not need to target a specific group. Instead, the victim of the attack can be any civilian population, regardless of its affiliation or identity.

https://doi.org/10.14746/ppuam.2019.9.05
PDF

References

Ascensio, H., Lambert-Abselgawad, E. Sorel, J.-M. ed., Les juridictions pénales interna-tionalisées, Cambodge, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Timor Leste 2006.

Bassiouni, C., Crimes Against Humanity in International Criminal Law, The Hague-London- Boston 1999.

BassiouniI, C., Crimes Against Humanity: The Need for a Specialized Convention, “Columbia Journal of Transnational Law”, 1994.

Cassese, A., Crimes against Humanity, in: The Rome Statute of the International Criminal

Court: A Commentary, eds. Cassese A., Gaeta P., Jones J. R., Oxford 2002.

Cassese, A., Crimes Against Humanity: Comments on some Problematical Aspects, in: Bois-son De Chazournes, L., Gowlland-Debbas, V. eds., The International Legal System in Quest of Equity and Universality. Liber Amicorum Georges Abi-Saab, The Hague-London-Boston, 2001.

Dadrian, V., The Historical and Legal Interconnections Between the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust: From Impunity to Retributive Justice, “Yale Journal of International Law” 1998, no. 23.

Fronza E., Le crime contre l’humanité, Paris 2009.

Garibian S., Le crime contre l’humanité au regard des principes fondateurs de l’Etat moderne.

Naissance et consécration d’un concept de Droit, Genève 2007.

Garibian, S., Crimes against humanity and international legality in legal theory after Nurem-berg, “Journal of Genocide Research” 2007, no. 1.

Garibian, S., Génocide arménien et conceptualisation du crime contre l’humanité. De l’intervention pour cause d’humanité à l’intervention pour violation des lois de l’humanité, “Revue d’histoire de la Shoah” 2003.

Guzman M. The road from Rome: the developing law of crimes against humanity, “Human Rights Quarterly” 2000, vol. 22.

Kastrup D., From Nuremberg to Rome and beyond: the fight against genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity (Dedicated to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights: Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity), “Fordham International Law Journal” 1999, vol. 23.

Mettraux G., Crimes Against Humanity in the Jurisprudence of the International Crimi-nal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda, “Harvard International Law Journal”, 2002.