Ten years of the ICC

Further to this recent post, UN legal counsel Patricia O'Brien writes in today's Irish Times to mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of the International Criminal Court:

Less than 20 years ago, the prospect of holding individuals personally accountable for international crimes so serious that they shock the conscience of mankind seemed illusory. Impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes was tolerated, and the gravest of crimes went unpunished.

For several decades, the voices of victims who suffered unimaginable atrocities went unheard as the international community struggled to build upon the legacy of the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals.

The tide has finally turned. Today, those responsible for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other gross violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are being held accountable. Heads of state and senior officials can no longer hide from justice.

International criminal justice is not a panacea, O'Brien goes on to say, but it 'responds to the aspirations of people everywhere' - and that is true.