International Crimes Overview

Principles

Definition

International crimes is an academic concept and field of inquiry within international law and related disciplines concerned with conduct recognized by the international community as profoundly harmful, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. It investigates the legal definition, elements, commission, prevention, and prosecution of these offenses, examining the development and application of international criminal law and the mechanisms for individual and state accountability for mass atrocities.

Ontological type

Constituent Elements

Accountability Mechanisms

Legal Sources

Key developments

Key Figures

Codification and Court Building era

Harold Hongju Koh [1], linked with University of California, Berkeley [3] and Yale University [4], emerged as a leading voice in codification and court-building during this era. Koh [1] argued that the 1997 paper Why Do Nations Obey International Law? [7] analyzed why states comply with treaty rules and customary norms, shaping key questions for enforcement in the codification era. Thomas M. Franck [2], associated with Princeton University [5] and Vanderbilt University [6], co-authored the 1997 article Why Do Nations Obey International Law? [7], and his work helped advance doctrinal explanations of compliance, legitimacy, and the design of international law enforcement during this era. Together these lines of work informed normative consolidation and institutional design by clarifying incentives for compliance and by shaping debates on jurisdiction, complementarity, and procedural architectures central to building a permanent international criminal court.

Tribunal Legitimacy and Deterrence era

Beth A. Simmons [1], affiliated with Harvard University [3] and Stanford University [4] during this era, contributed to the legitimacy and deterrence debates surrounding international tribunals. Her key contribution centers on the paper Credible Commitments and the International Criminal Court [7], which argues that credible commitments enhance the ICC's authority and deterrence by clarifying rules and expectations. Allison Marston Danner [2] has affiliations with the University of Toronto [5] and Vanderbilt University [6] during this era. Her scholarly contributions, notably through Credible Commitments and the International Criminal Court [7], analyze how credible commitments shape tribunal legitimacy and deterrence, offering a framework for evaluating enforcement and due process across institutions.

Proliferation and Jurisdiction Expansion era

Beth A. Simmons [1], affiliated with Harvard University [3] and the University of Pennsylvania [4], is a leading voice on international criminal accountability in the Proliferation and Jurisdiction Expansion era. Her 2016 paper Can the International Criminal Court Deter Atrocity? [7] advances understanding of deterrence, legitimacy, and the expansion of universal jurisdiction, clarifying why these questions matter for accountability in this era. Eugenio Cusumano [2], associated with Stanford University [5] and the University of Groningen [6], contributes to debates on jurisdictional reach and prosecutorial strategies shaping responses to new crime categories in this era. His 2020 paper From “Angels” to “Vice Smugglers”: the Criminalization of Sea Rescue NGOs in Italy [8] critiques how hybrid and domestic frameworks mediate accountability for humanitarian interventions, highlighting policy and normative challenges relevant to this era.