When a government orders atrocities against its own people, national courts often cannot or will not act — international criminal law exists to close that gap by holding individuals, not just states, accountable for the world's most serious crimes. This course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy examines how that accountability actually works in practice, from the definition of genocide and war crimes to the mechanics of a trial before the International Criminal Court.

Participants trace the field from its origins at Nuremberg through the ad hoc tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda to the permanent ICC, and examine the recurring tension between national sovereignty and international justice. The course also confronts the field's real limitations — politicisation, enforcement gaps, and the immunity claims of sitting leaders — so participants come away with a realistic, not idealised, picture of how international justice functions.

Who Should Attend?

• Judges and prosecutors with a focus on international or serious crimes.
• Lawyers and legal advisers in international organisations or human rights institutions.
• Researchers and academics in international law, criminal law, or human rights.
• Law enforcement officers involved in international investigations and legal cooperation.

Knowledge and Benefits

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the general principles and historical evolution of international criminal law.
• Identify and analyse the core international crimes and their legal definitions.
• Examine the role, jurisdiction, and procedure of the ICC and ad hoc tribunals.
• Explore the interplay between international criminal law and national legal systems.
• Evaluate fair trial standards, leadership accountability, and the field's political and enforcement challenges.

Module 1: The Making of International Criminal Law

• Definition, sources, and how it differs from national criminal law
• The principle of individual criminal responsibility and rejection of impunity
• From Nuremberg and Tokyo to the establishment of the ICC

Module 2: Defining the Core International Crimes

• Genocide: definition, elements, and case law
• Crimes against humanity: contextual elements and covered acts
• War crimes and violations of international humanitarian law

Module 3: The Crime of Aggression

• Defining aggression under the UN Charter and the Rome Statute
• The role of the Security Council and attribution of responsibility
• Jurisdictional limits and enforcement challenges

Module 4: Inside the International Criminal Court

• The Rome Statute, jurisdiction, and institutional structure
• Procedural stages: investigation, trial, appeal, and sentencing
• Roles of prosecutors, defence lawyers, and victim protection

Module 5: Ad Hoc and Hybrid Tribunals

• The ICTY and ICTR: background, jurisdiction, and legacy
• Hybrid courts in Sierra Leone and Lebanon, and their mixed features
• What these tribunals changed for international justice

Module 6: National Courts, Complementarity, and Cooperation

• The complementarity principle and when the ICC intervenes
• Incorporating international crimes into national legislation
• Extradition, arrest warrants, and judicial cooperation

Module 7: Fair Trial Standards and Leadership Accountability

• Guarantees for the accused and protection of witnesses and victims
• Criminal justice versus transitional justice after conflict
• Command responsibility and the rejection of official immunity for leaders

Module 8: Challenges and the Future of International Justice

• Politicisation, double standards, and enforcement gaps
• Contemporary issues: cyber-crimes, terrorism, and prohibited weapons
• Reform proposals and the evolving role of international organisations