A New Paradigm of Customary International Criminal Law: The UN War Crimes Commission of 1943–1948 and its Associated Courts and Tribunals

Main author: Plesch, Dan
Other authors: Sattler, Shanti
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-19687
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description This article focuses on the United Nations War Crimes Commission’s significant contribution to the development of customary international criminal law defined by the development of international legal standards and proceedings to combat impunity and promote justice. It draws on the Commission’s official history and its increasingly open archives in order to provide an overview of the UNWCC and its work, its members and its legacy for the contemporary era of international criminal law. The article firstly places the Commission in its historical context through the events and agreements that led to its creation and provided the legal character of the UNWCC. The defining characteristics of the Commission are afterwards described: the nations involved, the committee structure it formed and the sub-commission located in the Far East. Lastly, the accomplishments of the Commission are emphasised and criticisms of its work are presented. The article concludes with a discussion on the legacy of the Commission’s work and a possible future research agenda.
format Journal Article
author Plesch, Dan
author_facet Plesch, Dan
Sattler, Shanti
authorStr Plesch, Dan
author_letter Plesch, Dan
author2 Sattler, Shanti
author2Str Sattler, Shanti
title A New Paradigm of Customary International Criminal Law: The UN War Crimes Commission of 1943–1948 and its Associated Courts and Tribunals
publisher Springer Nature
publishDate 2014
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/19687/