International criminal justice: tightening up the rules of the game

31-03-2006 International Review of the Red Cross No 861, p. 133-144 by Luc Côté

This article outlines recent developments within international criminal justice institutions, with a particular focus on the limits that have been imposed on new international courts, which impact on the discretionary power of international prosecutors.

Luc Côté
was the Chief of Prosecutions of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (2003–5); formerly Senior Legal Officer for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (1995–9) and Legal Counsel for the War Crimes Unit of the Department of Justice, Canada (2001–6)

Abstract

Although much has been said and written about the creation of the international criminal tribunals and their contribution to the development of international humanitarian law, there have been very few studies of the international prosecutor per se. In this article, the author briefly surveys recent developments in the international criminal justice institutions, focusing particularly on the limits recently imposed on the discretionary powers of international prosecutors.

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