The Defence of Mistake of Law in International Criminal Law PDF Download

Author: Antonio Coco
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192648845
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 305

View

Book Description
The adage 'ignorance of the law is no excuse' is significantly inaccurate. Ignorance and mistake of law do, under certain circumstances, exclude responsibility both in national and international criminal law. This monograph updates the existing reviews of law and practice on the topic, aiming to go a step further: it takes the analysis of mistake of law as a starting point for systematic observations about international criminal law in general. First, the volume defines the contours of the defence of mistake of law in general theory of criminal law, distinguishing it from cognate defences and highlighting, most notably, its connection with superior orders. Secondly, it gives an overview of the possible approaches to the defence, offering examples from national law as terms of reference for the subsequent analysis of international criminal law. Thirdly, it surveys the relevant law and practice of international criminal tribunals, with a focus on the International Criminal Court, and it contemplates offences for which a defence of mistake of law may potentially succeed. Finally, the author tries to interpret what the rules on mistake of law applicable before international criminal tribunals imply about the purpose of punishing individuals and to the legitimacy of such punishment. Whilst the discourse on international criminal law is more and more concerned with global politics, The Defence of Mistake of Law in International Criminal Law brings back the focus on the appropriateness of imposing a guilty verdict on the individual defendant, a human being constituting the basic unit of each society.

Author: Annemieke van Verseveld
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9067048674
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 191

View

Book Description
When a perpetrator of an international crime argues in his defence that he did not realise that he had violated the law, is this a reason not to punish him? International crimes constitute serious offences and it could be argued that he who commits such an offence must know his act is punishable. After all, everyone is presumed to know the law. However, convicting someone who is mistaken about the wrongfulness of his act may be in violation of the principle ‘no punishment without guilt’. This book investigates when 'mistake of law' should be a reason to exculpate the perpetrator of an international crime. It demonstrates that the issue of 'mistake of law' goes to the heart of individual criminal responsibility and therewith contributes to the development of a more systematic approach toward the structure of international offences. Valuable for academics and practitioners in the field of International Criminal Law.

Author: Antonio Coco (Lawyer)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780191916298
Category : Criminal liability (International law)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description

Author: Geert-Jan G. J. Knoops
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 1571051589
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 373

View

Book Description
The Second Edition of "Defenses in Contemporary International Criminal Law" ventures farther into this uneasy territory than any previous work, offering a meticulous analysis of the case law in the post World War II Military Tribunals and the ad hoc tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia, with particular attention to the defenses developed, their rationales, and their origins in various municipal systems. It analyzes the defense provisions in the charters and statutes underlying these tribunals and the new International Criminal Court, while examining the first judgment in this field rendered by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, on June 20, 2007. The conceptual reach of this work includes not only the defenses recognized in the field's jurisprudence and scholarship (superior orders, duress, self-defense, insanity, necessity, mistake of law and fact, immunity of States), but also presents a strong case for the incorporation of genetic and neurobiological data into the functioning of certain defenses. Procedural mechanisms to invoke these defenses are also addressed.

Author: Antonio Coco (Lawyer)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780192648839
Category : Criminal liability (International law)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description
Ignorance and mistake of law tend to exclude responsibility in national and international criminal law. This monograph updates the existing reviews of law and practice on the topic and focuses on the appropriateness of imposing a guilty verdict on the individual defendant.

Author: Michael Bohlander
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9047431170
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 934

View

Book Description
This collection of cases and materials attempts for the first time to provide a compendium of the most important legal texts, relevant documents and cases, as well as explanatory commentary on the law of defence in international criminal proceedings by scholars and practitioners who have a wealth of relevant experience in the field. The book provides students in law school courses on international human rights law and ICL with the essential materials to understand the vital importance of an adequate defence in international criminal proceedings. Further, the text gives legal practitioners who may consider extending their field of practice to the international level a look at the diversity of the tasks they will encounter and prepare them for the legal culture shock inevitable at the international tribunals and courts.

Author: Ilias Bantekas
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135241805
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 640

View

Book Description
Providing an introduction to, and detailed examination of substantive, enforcement and procedural aspects of international criminal law, this book’s examination of international and transnational crimes under treaty and customary law has been fully updated and revised. Exploring the enforcement of international criminal law through an investigation of the practice of the Security Council-based tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the International Criminal Court and other hybrid tribunals, such as those for Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Lockerbie and truth commissions, the authors look at terrorism, offences against the person, piracy and jurisdiction, and immunities amongst a variety of other topics. New to this edition are four additional chapters on: various forms of liability and participation in international crime war crimes crimes against humanity genocide and illegal rendition. This is an ideal text for undergraduate and postgraduate students of law or international relations, practitioners and those interested in gaining an insight into international criminal law

Author: Mohamed Elewa Badar
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782250654
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 540

View

Book Description
The purpose of this book is to find a unified approach to the doctrine of mens rea in the sphere of international criminal law, based on an in-depth comparative analysis of different legal systems and the jurisprudence of international criminal tribunals since Nuremberg. Part I examines the concept of mens rea in common and continental legal systems, as well as its counterpart in Islamic Shari'a law. Part II looks at the jurisprudence of the post-Second World War trials, the work of the International Law Commission and the concept of genocidal intent in light of the travaux préparatoires of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Further chapters are devoted to a discussion of the boundaries of mens rea in the jurisprudence of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. The final chapter examines the definition of the mental element as provided for in Article 30 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court in light of the recent decisions delivered by the International Criminal Court. The study also examines the general principles that underlie the various approaches to the mental elements of crimes as well as the subjective element required in perpetration and participation in crimes and the interrelation between mistake of law and mistake of fact with the subjective element. With a Foreword by Professor William Schabas and an Epilogue by Professor Roger Clark From the Foreword by William Schabas Mohamed Elewa Badar has taken this complex landscape of mens rea at the international level and prepared a thorough, well-structured monograph. This book is destined to become an indispensable tool for lawyers and judges at the international tribunals. From the Epilogue by Professor Roger Clark This is the most comprehensive effort I have encountered pulling together across legal systems the 'general part' themes, especially about the 'mental element', found in confusing array in the common law, the civil law and Islamic law. In this endeavour, Dr Badar's researches have much to offer us.

Author: Gerhard Werle
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019100863X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 600

View

Book Description
Principles of International Criminal Law has become one of the most influential textbooks in the field of international criminal justice. It offers a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the foundations and general principles of substantive international criminal law, including thorough discussion of its core crimes. It provides a detailed understanding of the general principles, sources, and evolution of international criminal law, demonstrating how it has developed, and how its application has changed. After establishing the general principles, the book assesses the four key international crimes as defined by the statute of the International Criminal Court: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. This new edition revises and updates work with developments in international criminal justice since 2009. It includes new material on the principle of culpability as one of the fundamental principles of international criminal law, the notion of terrorism as a crime under international law, the concept of direct participation in hostilities, the problem of so-called unlawful combatants, and the issue of targeted killings. The book retains its highly-acclaimed systematic approach and consistent methodology, making the book essential reading for both students and scholars of international criminal law, as well as for practitioners and judges working in the field.

Author: Olaoluwa Olusanya
Publisher: ISBS
ISBN: 9789076871752
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 232

View

Book Description
After a long period of relative stagnation, substantive international criminal law has been invigorated primarily by the activities of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Both ad hoc tribunals have made immense advancements to this area of international criminal law by, for instance, laying down detailed rules on what constitutes culpable conduct and when responsibility should be attributed for the conduct of others. These important advances notwithstanding, much remains in flux. The elements of the core international crimes are still subject to controversy. Theories of individual criminal responsibility, such as command responsibility and joint criminal enterprise, are highly controversial. There is as yet no knowledge of how international offenses should be graded according to different levels and degrees of culpability and harm. This book brings together a team of researchers and practitioners from the field of international criminal law, concerned with a new international agenda of refining substantive international criminal law. The diverse topics examined include the superior orders defense, the mental element, the defense of mistake, command responsibility, the crime of aggression, and the principle of legality.