The anticipated closing of the ad hoc and hybrid tribunals, combined with the expanding jurisdiction and practice of the International Criminal Court, offers an important opportunity to step back and critically assess the social and legal impact of the Court's prosecutions and investigations on local populations and jurisdictions.  Indeed, because the ICC's jurisdiction is complementary to that of domestic legal systems, there is an acute need to revisit the modalities and timing of legal reform and international justice in light of the priorities, interests, and expectations of local constituencies and actors. 

 

To that end, the University of Leiden-Campus The Hague and the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies hosted a launch conference for the Post-Conflict Justice and 'Local Ownership' project.  Panels addressed the following topics:

 

- Conceptualizing 'Local' Justice at the International Criminal Court

- Political Implications of ICC Interventions

- Social Implications of International Criminal Justice

- Civil Society Roundtable

- Influence and Implementation of the Rome Statute

- Complementarity in Critical Perspective

- Keynote remarks by Ruti Teitel, Ernst C. Steifel Professor of Law at New York Law School

- Closing roundtable (moderated by Pierre Hazan)

 

A Grotius Centre report on the proceedings is available below.  Conference participant No Peace Without Justice has also shared a report upon which its representative's remarks were based; entitled 'The role of States Parties in building the ICC's local impact: Findings from delegates' visits to Uganda,' it is also available for download here.