The International Criminal Court and the Darfur crimes: The dilemma of peace and supra-national criminal justice

ABSTRACT

The supra-national criminal prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of the alleged crimes committed in Darfur raises critical legal and conceptual issues. This article addresses the dilemma of peace, justice and reconciliation from a legal perspective, as well as the justice options that are available. The article also assesses the Sudan's criminal and military laws (both at the substantive and procedural levels) in terms of the country's ability to prosecute international crimes such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In this respect, the article argues that these laws fall short of international criminal law standards and principles – particularly the amendments introduced after the United Nations Security Council referred the Darfur situation to the ICC. The article critically examines the Sudan government's policy of non-engagement, which ultimately led to supra-national criminal prosecution (represented by the ICC intervention under the complementarity principle of the Rome Statute). Finally, the article interrogates the report issued by the African Union High-Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD), and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of its recommendations.     

Contextualising the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ in Darfur

ABSTRACT

This article argues for a thorough contextual analysis based on understanding local, regional and international politico-economic linkages in the Sudan, in order to ground prospects of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P) doctrine in the ongoing crisis in Darfur. The R2P framework was crystallised by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) in 2001. It was adapted and subsequently endorsed by United Nations (UN) member states during the 2005 UN World Summit. The R2P ostensibly provides normative benchmarks on how states should respond to the quadruple human rights violations of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Indeed, there is debate on whether the prevailing crisis in Darfur constitutes a test case for the application of the R2P. However, such debate is misplaced on two grounds: first, it glosses over the inherent conceptual deficiencies of the R2P, as presently constituted. More importantly, such debate is primarily inspired by reactionary and externalising influences based on past international failings, like Rwanda (1994) and Bosnia (1993). Hence, it is argued that the starting point of analysing the Darfur crisis should be a thorough investigation of how local, regional and international politico-economic factors have historically worked in an orchestrated fashion to trigger and sustain the crisis in the Sudan. Knowledge and an understanding of such historical specificity is a requisite for determining the relevance of the R2P in Darfur. The R2P, as presently constituted and practised, does not address this gap.     

Reconstruction and reparations: Lessons from China and the Pan-African world

Abstract

This article addresses the role of the university and institutions of higher learning in carrying out the mandate of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR), held in Durban, South Africa in 2001. The active contribution of the university is anticipated in Article 98 of the Programme of Action published in the Report of the World Conference (2001), which clearly states:

We emphasize the importance and necessity of teaching about the facts and truth of the history of humankind from antiquity to the recent past, as well as of teaching about the facts and truth of the history, causes, nature and consequences of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, with a view to achieving a comprehensive and objective cognizance of the tragedies of the past.     

Ethnic Origins and the Disposition of Delinquents in Israel

Theoretical considerations lead to the hypothesis that the dispositions of juvenile cases affecting Oriental Jews will be harsher than those affecting European Jews in Israel. Further, that Arab juveniles will be dealt with more harshly than will either European or Oriental Jews. Analysis of official delinquency data reveals that this is the tendency. However, the authoritarian structure of the Arab community rather than prejudice explains the difference in handling Jewish or Arabic cases.     

Environmental crime prosecutions in Ireland, 2004–2014

Despite increased interest in environmental crime and green criminology, few studies address the use of criminal penalties in response to environmental crimes. A handful of published examples employ data from the United States or the Flanders court system, and little is known about how other nations punish environmental violations. Addressing this issue, the current study examined the use of criminal environmental penalties in Ireland from 2004 to 2014. Few criminal environmental cases (N = 147) and few environmental offenders (N = 154) were represented in these data over time. Consistent with the expectations of green/environmental crime researchers, mean penalties for environmental violations, which in Ireland only include fines and investigative cost recovery penalties, were rather small. Unlike in the US or Flanders, the majority of offenders were corporate offenders as opposed to individuals. Contextual factors related to Ireland’s economy, history and use of criminal sanctions should be used to interpret these factors, and prevent generalising from these data.     

简析赌博机犯罪之司法认定——以“两高一部”《意见》为视角

设置赌博机组织赌博活动构成开设赌场罪即所谓的赌博机犯罪。根据《意见》赌博机犯霏的司法认定,应该包括对利用赌博机组织赌饵行为的性质认定、定罪标准、罪与非罪的界定和共犯、赌资、赌博机的认定等方面内容的考量。     

城市少数民族流动人口犯罪实证研究--以S市M区的统计数据为基础的分析

对s市M区统计数据的实证分析表明,城市涉嫌犯罪的少数民族人员以无任何前科记录的初中文化水平以下的外来男性农民和无业人员为主;实施的犯罪行为比较轻,相对集中于盗窃罪,寻衅滋事罪,走私、贩卖、运输、制造毒品罪等几个罪名;共同犯罪的规模较小,共同犯罪人之间的联系比较松散,作案手段多元化、相对平和,重特大案件罕见;适用刑罚比较轻缓,以3年以下有期徒刑、拘役、罚金为主。城市少数民族人员犯罪并不是严重的社会现象,其数量和严重程度远远低于汉族人犯罪。因此,少数民族“流动人口”犯罪问题不应当特殊化,应当在人口流动和城镇化的背景下,理性客观地对待少数民族人员犯罪问题,贯彻宽严相济的刑事政策,采取措施使得少数民族“流动人口”尽快融入大城市。     

网络犯罪管辖权问题研究

在现行刑事案件管辖制度的基础上,网络犯罪管辖权应进一步细化联结点并确立优先次序.不同类型的网络犯罪在管辖权设定上的关注点应有所不同.网络犯罪案件的管辖应当遵循实体法与程序法相一致、案件的全面覆盖与均衡分布、便利性等价值追求.以实施网络犯罪行为的计算机终端所在地为行为地,以受害人发现权利被侵害的计算机终端所在地为犯罪结果发生地,并辅之以被告人住所地,确立一个分层次的网络犯罪司法管辖体系.     

论惩治恐怖活动犯罪的国际刑事司法合作

有效防治恐怖活动犯罪离不开国际刑事司法合作。出于打击恐怖活动犯罪的目的,国际社会对于恐怖活动犯罪排除适用政治犯不引渡原则。打击恐怖活动犯罪还需在联合侦查、情报交流与信息合作、案件文书送达等方面开展司法协助。在国际刑事司法协助中有必要建立刑事诉讼移转管辖的司法合作制度,以便于各国之间加强反恐合作,更加有效地打击恐怖活动犯罪。     

西部地区黑社会性质组织犯罪形成的文化意识原因探析

西部地区黑社会性质组织形成的文化意识原因,既具有与全国其他地区相一致的因素,也具备一些区域性文化元素。归根结底表现为主流文化与犯罪亚文化的矛盾和冲突。作为逆主流文化而动的反文化、反主流文化、反社会的极端越轨文化,在黑社会性质组织中体现为群体性的有组织犯罪亚文化,它是黑社会性质组织犯罪的精神支柱和内在动力。从社会学角度出发,中国社会中存在有组织犯罪的亚文化;从心理学角度而言,有组织犯罪中的个人和组织群体也存在有组织犯罪亚文化。