Of the many expectations attending the creation of the first permanent International Criminal Court, the greatest has been that the principle of complementarity would catalyse national investigations and prosecutions of conflict-related crimes and lead to the reform of domestic justice systems. Sarah Nouwen explores whether complementarity has had such an effect in two states subject to ICC intervention: Uganda and Sudan. Drawing on extensive empirical research and combining law, legal anthropology and political economy, she unveils several effects and outlines the catalysts for them. However, she also reveals that one widely anticipated effect – an increase in domestic proceedings for conflict-related crimes – has barely occurred. This finding leads to the unravelling of paradoxes that go right to the heart of the functioning of an idealistic Court in a world of real constraints.

Examines the impact of the Rome Statute's complementarity principle on two states in which the International Criminal Court has intervened.

Examines the impact of the Rome Statute's complementarity principle on two states in which the International Criminal Court has intervened.

'This timely, valuable and thought-provoking contribution to our understanding of the vibrant new subject that is international criminal law, is a great addition to the literature and to our understanding. Professor Bart Brown deserves real appreciation for bringing it together.' – Philippe Sands QC, University College London and Matrix Chambers, UK 'The Research Handbook is a comprehensive up-to-date guide to one of the youngest yet most dynamic areas of international law. It tackles the pertinent challenges and opportunities, starting with the classical issues like categories of international crimes and complementarity, going on to address the problems ahead including the Guantánamo regime, crimes against women and the status of private security contractors. The Handbook will be a valuable source for both general and advanced international criminal law research.' – James Crawford, Cambridge University, UK This carefully regarded and well-structured handbook covers the broad range of norms, practices, policies, processes and institutional mechanisms of international criminal law, exploring how they operate and continue to develop in a variety of contexts. Leading scholars in the field and experienced practitioners have brought together their expertise and perspectives in a clear and concise fashion to create an authoritative resource, which will be useful and accessible even to those without legal training. The Research Handbook on International Criminal Law will appeal to practitioners who may want to defend, or prosecute, international criminal law cases, and academics researching and writing on international criminal law. Graduate students studying international criminal law, international human rights or international humanitarian law as well as those studying international justice, international politics, international organization or public policy analysis, will also find this book invaluable.

Academic Paper from the year 2017 in the subject Law - Comparative Legal Systems, Comparative Law, grade: 1.0, University of Pretoria, language: English, abstract: This study seeks to establish how the legal and institutional framework for positive complementarity may be effectively implemented. It is argued that the existing legal and institutional framework in respect of the effective combatting of impunity is largely unsatisfactory. The evolution of the principle of complementarity, in the context of the Rome Statute, is explored with emphasis on the theoretical constraints on the principle which, in turn, raise practical challenges. The analysis provides a theoretical background to the conceptualisation of positive complementarity. The study traces the evolution and development of the concept of positive complementarity, examining its characteristic features and attributes, and the possibilities and opportunities the concept presents for the effective combatting of impunity. It examines the various scholarly arguments and propositions advanced to explain the concept of positive complementarity, and analyses the attendant challenges and limitations. It is noted that there is no fixed and universally acceptable definition of positive complementarity. It is therefore argued that there is a need for the establishment of a coherent legal and institutional framework for positive complementarity. In this light, appropriate policy alternatives and considerations both domestically and internationally, are considered. On the international level limitations characterising the current institutional framework of the Secretariat of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP Secretariat) are identified. It is argued that a fundamental restructuring of the ASP Secretariat is essential and measures to restructure the ASP Secretariat in order to reinforce its effectiveness in fulfilling its mandate on positive complementarity are identified. At the domestic level, the various aspects of implementing legislation are discussed. In conclusion, the establishment of an independent office to address positive complementarity and revitalise the institutional framework within the legal structures of the ASP Secretariat, is examined. The study envisages that the proposed institutional framework for the ASP Secretariat, if implemented, would effectively support the national jurisdictions of state parties in their implementation of the concept of positive complementarity. This study represents an unequivocally original contribution to knowledge and research.

Since its establishment at the turn of the century, a central preoccupation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been to catalyse the pursuit of criminal accountability at the domestic level. Drawing on ten years of research, this book theorizes the ICC's principle of complementarity as a transnational site and adaptive strategy for realizing an array of ambitious governance goals. Through a grounded, inter-disciplinary approach, it illustrates how complementarity came to be framed as a 'catalyst for compliance' and its unexpected effects on the legal frameworks and institutions of three different ICC 'situation countries' in Africa: Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Linking complementarity's law and practice to contemporary debates in international law and relations, the book unsettles international law's dominant progressive narrative. It urges a critical rethinking of the ICC's politics and a reorientation towards international criminal justice as a project of global legal pluralism.

International courts and tribunals are often asked to review decisions originally made by domestic decision-makers. This can often be a source of tension, as the international courts and tribunals need to judge how far to defer to the original decisions of the national bodies. As international courts and tribunals have proliferated, different courts have applied differing levels of deference to those originial decisions, which can lead to a fragmentation in international law. International courts in such positions rely on two key doctrines: the standard of review and the margin of appreciation. The standard of review establishes the extent to which national decisions relating to factual, legal, or political issues arising in the case are re-examined in the international court. The margin of appreciation is the extent to which national legislative, executive, and judicial decision-makers are allowed to reflect diversity in their interpretation of human rights obligations. The book begins by providing an overview of the margin of appreciation and standard of review, recognising that while the margin of appreciation explicitly acknowledges the existence of such deference, the standard of review does not: it is rather a procedural mechanism. It looks in-depth at how the public policy exception has been assessed by the European Court of Justice and the WTO dispute settlement bodies. It examines how the European Court of Human Rights has taken an evidence-based approach towards the margin of appreciation, as well as how it has addressed issues of hate speech. The Inter-American system is also investigated, and it is established how far deference is possible within that legal organisation. Finally, the book studies how a range of other international courts, such as the International Criminal Court, and the Law of the Sea Tribunal, have approached these two core doctrines.