Contemporary Issues in International Criminal and Human Rights Law

The volume Number 5: Contemporary Issues in International Criminal and Human Rights Law addresses a wide range of current challenges at the intersection of international criminal justice and human rights protection. It brings together legal, political, and historical perspectives to explore how international legal mechanisms deal with atrocity crimes, structural violence, and the ongoing struggle against impunity.

One key focus is the practice of universal jurisdiction and its application in African contexts. The book examines how African states have engaged with this legal principle and discusses recent developments related to the proposed African regional criminal court under the Malabo Protocol. It reflects on the potential of such a regional institution to complement or counterbalance the International Criminal Court, raising questions about legitimacy, power dynamics, and legal pluralism in international justice.

The volume also critically reviews the functioning of international tribunals, with special attention to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Issues such as selective prosecution, the political entanglements of tribunal staff, and controversial judgments are discussed in light of broader concerns about institutional credibility and the rule of law. The book considers what lessons can be learned from the experience of ad hoc tribunals in order to strengthen future accountability mechanisms.

Another important theme is the legacy of colonial violence, especially in the case of the genocide against the Herero and Nama in what is now Namibia. The book traces the long path toward official recognition of these crimes and places Germany’s 2021 acknowledgment within a larger discourse on historical justice and the interpretation of the Genocide Convention.

Further chapters explore the treatment of sexual and gender-based violence in international law, highlighting the gaps and progress in prosecuting such crimes. The volume calls for more context-sensitive approaches that take survivors’ experiences seriously and challenge the limitations of narrow legal categories.

The book also engages with the broader debate surrounding anti-impunity norms. It asks whether criminal accountability alone can deliver justice, or whether it must be accompanied by restorative and transformative approaches that address the structural conditions underlying mass violence and authoritarian rule.

Additional topics include the role of digital evidence in international investigations, the challenges of cross-border cooperation, and the influence of geopolitical interests on legal proceedings. These discussions reflect the complex reality in which international law operates today, marked by tensions between legal ideals and political constraints.

Overall, this volume offers an in-depth and critical examination of the legal and institutional frameworks that shape international responses to serious human rights violations. It is aimed at scholars, practitioners, and students of international law and human rights who seek to understand the evolving nature of global justice in a changing world.