Social Science Research Council

One could be forgiven for not knowing a Sudanese is in the dock at the International Criminal Court for crimes committed in Darfur. The confirmation of charges hearing against Abu Garda is going on at the moment in the Hague and on Tuesday 21 October, there were about 20 people in the public gallery to [...]

Human Rights Reporting as the First Draft of the Indictment
Journalism has been described as the “first draft of history.” By the same token, the human rights report is the “first draft of the indictment.”
The genre of the human rights report shares much in common with legal documents such as indictments and court judgements. This [...]

At ‘African Arguments’ there is a vigorous debate on international justice ongoing. The spark for the debate was a series of postings on justice and accountability in Kenya, but the issues range far wider. Earlier today, Chidi Odinkalu posted an article entitled “Saving International Justice in Africa”, that argues on the one hand that the [...]

Pacification
“NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE”
The second main argument used in support of the International Criminal Court is that there can be “no peace without justice.” This argument is summed up perfectly in this 6 March 2009 editorial in Le Monde:
“Justice and the pursuit of peace go hand in hand. There is no contradiction between them, [...]

Introduction
Officially, the thirteen NGOs expelled from Sudan after an international arrest warrant was issued against Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir were being punished for their “violations to the laws of the humanitarian work” in cooperating with the “so-called International Criminal Court.”(1) By all appearance, this explanation reflects only some of the regime’s motivations. Yet, the [...]

The following letter from a senior ICC official has been published in World Affairs in response to the article by Julie Flint and Alex de Waal on the Prosecutor.
Luis Moreno Ocampo
Dear Sir:
Alex de Waal advance against Luis Moreno Ocampo (“Case Closed,” Spring 2009), it helps to know that the authors’ real grievance is that leveling [...]

As a two-day meeting between the 30 original African signatory countries to the ICC draws to a close, the peace-versus-justice debate continues to impact civilians on the ground and divide how Africa’s conflicts are addressed by advocates and policymakers.
This couldn’t be any more true than in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where [...]

Human Rights Watch recently posted seven ‘myths’ (arguments) about the ICC indictment, each followed by a confidently-named ‘reality’ (response). Much of what they say is commendable, and can be found here. Three points perhaps merit discussion:
1. Myth: The International Criminal Court has put people at risk by issuing an arrest warrant for [...]

The National Election Commission (NEC) has officially announced the time frame for Sudan’s general elections, with a seven months’ delay in respect to the timetable of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). However, I think the delay is justifiable and will give all the parties concern time to prepare themselves.
The election is the most important [...]

Those who believe in justice, truth and accountability should demand the highest professional and ethical standards of the Prosecutor of the ICC. Any failings in these respects can do incalculable damage to the prospects for justice, and the future of the ICC. We believe that the Prosecutor of the ICC isn’t up to the job [...]