International criminal law: general principles and international crimes course

International criminal law has developed dramatically since the early 1990s, and now consists of a complex system involving national courts with international participation, alternative transitional justice mechanisms like truth commissions, and temporary or ad hoc international courts. The International Criminal Court sits at the centre of this.
This short course reviews the origins of international criminal law, its relationship with the international legal order including the UN Security Council and its coexistence with national justice institutions. The scope of international crimes – genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression – is considered alongside initiatives to expand or add to these categories.