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The Call on the ​AIDP YPC homepage

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The demarcation line between international crimes and ordinary crimes is becoming vague. At the international level and at the International Criminal Court (ICC) specifically, the formal distinction between ordinary and international crimes is being challenged. In 2013, in the context of the situation in Libya, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC confirmed that the ICC Statute does not make a distinction between ordinary and international crimes when it comes to the complementarity regime of the ICC, and domestic investigations for the same conduct are sufficient to make the case inadmissible before the ICC. At the substantive level, the demarcation line between crimes against humanity as a category of international crimes and ordinary offences took center stage in the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber II to authorize an investigation into the situation in Kenya in 2010 and is has remained a contentious aspect since. More recently, in 2017, the Appeals Chamber confirmed that members of an armed group are not per se excluded as potential victims of war crimes of perpetrators belonging to the same armed forces, which may seem incompatible with the concept of war crimes and international humanitarian law. At the regional level, the Malabo Protocol adopted by the Assembly of the African Union in 2014 created a new International Criminal Law section in the African Court of Justice and Human Rights and conferred upon it jurisdiction over core international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes) as well as other crimes traditionally considered to be transnational or organized crimes (such as trafficking, terrorism or money laundering). In addition, at the national level, many states have criminalized international crimes in their domestic criminal laws. Furthermore, various internationalized courts and tribunals have been established, and most of them have jurisdiction over both international crimes and crimes under domestic laws.

In light of such developments the question arises: is the distinction between international and ordinary crimes still valid, or has it lost its significance? The seminar aims to revisit and question the traditional concept of international crime, reflecting on recent developments in law and practice. It seeks to bring together scholarly works that consider issues such as: the intersection between international, transnational, organized and ordinary crimes; the phenomena behind the possible erosion of the distinction between international crimes and ordinary offences; implications of such an erosion (positive or negative); or the rationale behind this distinction. We welcome presentations on these issues as well as other topics that fall under the main theme of the symposium.

The symposium aims to provide a platform in particular for young scholars in international criminal law to exchange views. Speakers are required to prepare and submit Power Point Slides a week before the symposium.

Proposals must be submitted via email to Megumi Ochi (ochi.megumi.74s@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp) with the title Symposium of August 2018. Please send a 500-word abstract in English and a C.V. as separate attached files (doc or pdf). The deadline for proposals is 22 June 2018.

Speakers will be selected on the basis of abstracts submitted in response to this Call for Presentations.

Fees for flight will be covered for a limited number of speakers. Please indicate in the abstract if you can only participate with financial aid.

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AIDP Young Penalist Committee, http://ypc.youngpenalists.org/

This symposium is supported by JSPS KAKENHI

Grant Number JP 15J07414 (Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows)