1003672 - SELECTED TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW
Course Structure
The course is based on taught lectures; active participation of the students and the discussion of practical cases will be highly encouraged.
Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the Syllabus.
Learning assessment takes place through an oral final exam in English.
Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.
Detailed Course Content
A) Notion, history and evolution of international criminal law. The contribution to the development of international criminal law of the Nuremberg and Tokyo International Military Tribunals; the ad hoc tribunals; hybrid courts.
B) The International Criminal Court. The Rome Statute. Jurisdiction. Trigger mechanisms. Principle of complementarity. Institutions. Procedures. Sanctions and enforcement.
C) The general part of international criminal law. Interpretation and fundamental principles. Structure of core international crimes; the material elements; the mental elements; grounds for excluding criminal responsibility. Individual criminal responsibility: perpetration; accessorship. Superior responsibility. Attempt. Omission.
D) Special part of international criminal law: genocide; crimes against humanity; war crimes; aggression.
Textbook Information
For A), B) and D): Helmut Satzger, International and European Criminal Law, Hart/Nomos, 2018, p. 215-234; 235-261; 293-326 (available at the Library of the Department of Law);
For C):
1) students attending the course: Helmut Satzger, International and European Criminal Law, Hart/Nomos, 2018, p. 262-292 and materials that will be provided by the professor during the course.
2) students not attending the course: Otto Triffterer and Kai Ambos (eds), Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: A Commentary, C.H. Beck/Hart /Nomos, 3rd ed., 2016, p. 949-1196 (available at the Library of the Department of Law).
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
| 1 | Notion of international criminal law. | A |
| 2 | History and evolution of international criminal law. Overview. | A |
| 3 | Indirect enforcement of international criminal law. Direct enforcement of international criminal law. | A |
| 4 | The international Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East. | A |
| 5 | The International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Hybrid courts. | A |
| 6 | Practice of ICTY, ICTR and hybrid courts. | A |
| 7 | The International Criminal Court. The Rome Statute. Jurisdiction. | B |
| 8 | Trigger mechanisms. Principle of complementarity. | B |
| 9 | Institutions. Procedures. | B |
| 10 | Sanctions and enforcement. | B |
| 11 | The general part of international criminal law. Interpretation. | C |
| 12 | Fundamental principles. | C |
| 13 | Structure of core international crimes. The material elements. | C |
| 14 | The mental elements. | C |
| 15 | Grounds for excluding criminal responsibility. | C |
| 16 | Individual criminal responsibility. Perpetration. Accessorship. | C |
| 17 | Superior responsibility. | C |
| 18 | Special part of international criminal law. Genocide. | D |
| 19 | Crimes against humanity. | D |
| 20 | War crimes. | D |
| 21 | Aggression. | D |