International Criminal Law

International Criminal Law - Professor Kathleen Maloney

• Course Number: LAW-461
• Course Type: Highly Specialized
• Credits: 2
• Enrollment Limit: 18
• Description: This seminar analyzes contemporary international criminal law. The history, development, and philosophy of international criminal justice, from the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals to modern international criminal prosecutions, will be covered. Considerable attention will be paid to the jurisprudence and practice of international criminal tribunals, including the permanent International Criminal Court (ICC), regarding war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression. The course will examine how international criminal law interacts with national jurisdictions over core crimes and treaty-based crimes like torture and terrorism. Alternative means of addressing international crimes (often referred to as transitional justice) such as Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, gacaca trials in Rwanda, immunitites, and other local justice mechanisms will be analyzed.
• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: Evaluation is based on a final legal research paper, to be submitted by the last day of exams on a topic in international criminal law chosen by the student and subject to instructor approval.
• Capstone: Very limited: Only a few will be allowed to do the Capstone. The professor’s selection criteria will be discussed the first day of class.
• WIE: no