what is international justice?
"The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish were so calculated, so malignant and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, nor survive their being repeated."
– Justice Robert H. Jackson, Chief of Council for the United States,
in his Opening Statement before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg
We live in an increasingly globalized and interdependent world. The physical boundaries that separated countries have given way to a global economy, instantaneous communication, the ability to span the globe in less than a day and the proliferation of crimes that have international implications. This phenomenon both necessitates and enables the creation an international system of justice that complements and reinforces national justice systems.
The trend towards a "globalization of justice" is defined by an increasingly wide net of international obligations covering everything from free trade to labor standards, environmental regulations and the protection of fundamental human rights. It is evidenced by the establishment of an International Criminal Court (ICC), the creation of ad hoc tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, the creation of internationalized courts and the increasing use of domestic courts to bring criminal and civil cases against individuals accused of gross violations of international human rights.
The world has sustained atrocity after atrocity without having recourse to justice, but this is changing. Global rules and systems that enforce human rights at the international level are increasingly being deployed as tools to prevent conflict and promote peace and justice. An international system of justice is essential to deter those contemplating human rights crimes, to enable victims to obtain justice and redress, to re-build nations ravaged by war and to support post-conflict reconciliation.
- Check out the International Justice Hotspots Map. (Also in printable pdf format!)
- 14 Frequently Asked Questions about International Justice
- Additional resources (all printer friendly) for your film screening event.
