The defence in international criminal trials

The International Criminal Justice system is an important element of world politics today. Currently, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating serious human rights violations committed in nine African states and has launched preliminary investigations into acts committed in the conflict zones of Palestine and Ukraine. The complexity of these issues and the ongoing status of these conflicts pose significant difficulties for international courts in carrying out their mandates, which in turn affect the prosecution and the defence. The media, as well as academia, tend to focus on the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, as was the case with the ICTY and ICTR. Rarely do they widen their focus to include the role of the accused and their defence teams. The authors of this volume, who are both practitioners and researchers, take a closer look at the inner workings of international courts and tribunals. The contributions included are either in English or in German.