Sentencing In International Criminal Law

This book deals with sentencing in international criminal law, focusing on the approach of the UN ad hoc Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR). In contrast to sentencing in domestic jurisdictions, and in spite of its growing importance, sentencing law is a part of international criminal law that is still 'under construction' and is unregulated in many aspects. International sentencing law and practice is not yet defined by exact norms and principles and as yet there is no body of international principles concerning the determination of sentence, notwithstanding the huge volume of sentencing research and the extensive modern debate about sentencing principles. Moreover international judges receive very little guidance in sentencing matters: this contributes to inconsistencies and may increase the risk that similar cases will be sentenced in different ways. One purpose of this book is to investigate and evaluate the process of international sentencing, especially as interpreted by the ICTY and the ICTR, and to suggest a more comprehensive and coherent system of guiding principles, which will foster the development of a law of sentencing for international criminal justice. The book discusses the law and jurisprudence of the ad hoc Tribunals, and also presents an empirical analysis of influential factors and other data from ICTY and ICTR sentencing practice, thus offering quantitative support for the doctrinal analysis. This publication is one of the first to be entirely devoted to the process of sentencing in international criminal justice. The book will thus be of great interest to practitioners, academics and students of the subject.

HauptbeschreibungThe International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda hold far-reaching sentencing powers. At the same time, consistency and fairness in sentencing are of utmost important to the practice of the Tribunals. Accordingly, the sentencing powers of the Tribunals demand for a system of control. One crucial procedural safeguard to facilitate such control is the scrutiny exercised by the Appeals Chamber. This study analyses both sentencing and appellate law in the International Tribunals. Its fundamental objective is to ensure consistency in punishment by means of appellate review.The study analyses the substantive guidelines for the sentencing decision and describes how these have evolved in the practice of the Tribunals. It then explores the nature and scope of the appeal. In doing so it examines the most important procedural devices and instruments and assesses their practical importance to the appellate process. Finally, it analyses the importance the respective practice of the Tribunals will hold for the future practice of the International Criminal Court.

This is the second of three volumes of a treatise on the principles and practice of international criminal law, from its foundations to its future. Volume 2 analyses the the substantive part of international criminal law dealing with the core crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression, as well as sentencing.

This book covers sentencing in international criminal law with a particular focus on the International Criminal Court. The author gives a critical examination of the issue of sentencing rationales in international criminal law including an overview of the theories advanced by scholars.The first section studies whether it is possible to find a norm of international law providing for the aims of sentences in the law and practice of pure international criminal jurisdictions created before the entry into force of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. The second section analyses the issue of sentencing at the International Criminal Court, by focusing on the provisions of its Statute, on the relevant rules of internationally recognized human rights law and on the Court’s first practice. The book concludes with a re-organization of principles and thus offers a consistent approach to the penal justifications of sentencing for the International Criminal Court.

International sentencing has become significant given the numerous events on the world stage which have focused attention on the justifications and adequacy of punishment for heinous crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity. In addition to providing a detailed evaluation of the philosophical and theoretical difficulties raised by this rapidly developing area of international criminal justice, this book provides an integrated socio-legal analysis of the law and process of international sentencing. It considers the rationale and development of international sentencing structures and processes, the nature and scope of legal and procedural constraints on decision-making, as well as access to justice and rights issues. The book discusses sentencing within the context of international criminal law and examines internationalized trial processes and alternative mechanisms for resolution. In seeking to comprehend the punishment of international crimes through the comparative contextual analysis of trial processes, it challenges our present understanding of how and why particular sentencing outcomes are produced and the perceived legitimacy of international trial justice.

This collection discusses appropriate methodologies for comparative research and applies this to the issue of trial transformation in the context of achieving justice in post-conflict societies. In developing arguments in relation to these problems, the authors use international sentencing and the question of victims' interests and expectations as a focus. The conclusions reached are wide-ranging and haighly significant in challenging existing conceptions for appreciating and giving effect to the justice demands of victims of war and social conflict. The themes developed demonstrate clearly how comparative contextual analysis facilitates our understanding of the legal and social contexts of international punishment and how this understanding can provide the basis for expanding the role of restorative international criminal justice within the context of international criminal trials.

Drawing on the expertise and experience of contributors from a wide range of academic, professional and judicial backgrounds, this handbook critically analyses the laws, policies and practices that govern detention, punishment and the enforcement of sentences in the international criminal justice context. Comprehensive and innovative, it also explores broader normative questions related to international punishment and makes recommendations for the international penal system's development.