Universal Jurisdiction

Universal jurisdiction is the principle that every country has an interest in bringing to justice the perpetrators of grave crimes, no matter where the crime was committed, and regardless of the nationality of the perpetrators or their victims. It was most famously utilized in the 1998 arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet on torture charges in London at the request of a Spanish court.

The principle of universal jurisdiction is rooted in the belief that certain crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, “disappearance” and extrajudicial executions, are so serious that they amount to an offence against the whole of humanity and therefore all states have a responsibility to bring those responsible to justice.

To fulfill this responsibility, more than three-fifths of all states have enacted universal jurisdiction laws to ensure that their national courts are able to investigate and prosecute persons suspected of committing these crimes, and to ensure that their country is not used as a “safe haven” to evade justice.

AIUSA activists are currently working to promote the effective exercise of universal jurisdiction in the case of former Guatemalan head of state Ríos Montt, who has been charged with genocide, torture, terrorism and illegal detention in Spain.

Learn more about this campaign in AIUSA’s 2007 film Justice Without Borders.