The UN War Crimes Commission and International Law: Revisiting World War II Precedents and Practice

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Main author: Weiss, Thomas G.
Other authors: Plesch, Dan
Owen, Leah
Format: Book Chapters           
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id eprints-22112
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description The history of international legal institutions has largely ignored the early activities of the United Nations, specifically of the UN War Crimes Commission (UNWCC). Based on an assessment of its work and with access to new archival evidence, contemporary international legal institutional design could benefit significantly from revisiting the commission’s achievements, particularly the principle of complementarity identified in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and support for domestic tribunals for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The article begins by examining the history, multilateral basis for, and practical activities of the commission. Subsequently, it assesses its contemporary relevance. Finally, it analyses—with reference to modern literature on complementarity—the degree to which the commission’s wartime model provides positive examples of implementation of the principle that could be replicated today, with particular reference to domestic capacity-building and international coordination.
author_additional Ziccardi Capaldo, Giuliana
author_additionalStr Ziccardi Capaldo, Giuliana
format Book Chapters
author Weiss, Thomas G.
author_facet Weiss, Thomas G.
Plesch, Dan
Owen, Leah
authorStr Weiss, Thomas G.
author_letter Weiss, Thomas G.
author2 Plesch, Dan
Owen, Leah
author2Str Plesch, Dan
Owen, Leah
title The UN War Crimes Commission and International Law: Revisiting World War II Precedents and Practice
publisher Oxford University Press
publishDate 2016
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/22112/

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