Contested Justice

The International Criminal Court emerged in the early twenty-first century as an ambitious and permanent institution with a mandate to address mass atrocity crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity. Although designed to exercise jurisdiction only in instances where states do not pursue these crimes themselves (and are unwilling or unable to do so), the Court‘s interventions, particularly in African states, have raised questions about the social value of its work as well as its political dimensions and effects. Bringing together scholars and practitioners who work closely on the ICC, this collection offers a diverse account of its interventions: from investigations to trials and from the Court‘s Hague-based centre to the networks of actors who sustain its activities. Exploring connections with transitional justice and international relations, and drawing upon critical insights from the interpretive social sciences, it offers a novel perspective on the ICC‘s work in practice.

Christian De Vos is an advocacy officer with the Open Society Justice Initiative.

Sara Kendall is a lecturer in international law at the University of Kent, Canterbury. She also co-directs Kent Law School‘s Centre for Critical International Law.

Carsten Stahn is Chair of International Criminal Law and Global Justice at Leiden University and Programme Director of the Grotius Centre for International Studies, The Hague.