Accountability for Human Rights Atrocities in International Law Beyond the Nuremberg Legacy

The fall of dictatorial regimes and the eruption of destructive civil conflicts around the world have led to calls for holding individuals accountable for human rights atrocities. This book offers a comprehensive study of the promise and limitations of international criminal law as a means of enforcing international human rights and humanitarian law. It provides a searching analysis of the principal crimes under the law of nations, such as genocide and crimes against humanity and an appraisal of the most important prosecutorial and other mechanisms developed to bring individuals to justice. After applying their conclusions in a detailed case study, the authors offer a series of compelling conclusions on the prospects for accountability. This fully updated new edition also contains expanded coverage of the increasing numbers of international criminal trials including the cases of Bosnia, Serbia, and East Timor. It also explores individual accountability for terrorist acts and accountability for acts undertaken in the name of counter-terrorism policy, and provides expanded coverage of aggression and crimes against peace.

Steven R. Ratner is Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. He was previously the Albert Sidney Burleson Professor in Law at the University of Texas School of Law (Austin) and an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. State Department. Jason S. Abrams is an international lawyer residing in New York City. He has served as Legal Officer, Policy Coordination Officer and Consultant to the United Nations. His work has included private international matters involving UN Headquarters and Peacekeeping Missions, landmines, and management reform initiatives. Earlier in his career, Mr. Abrams was an Attorney-Adviser for the U.S. Department of State.

James L. Bischoff is a Law Clerk in the Chambers of the Honorable Juan R. Torruella of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He previously worked as an Associate Legal Officer at the ICTY and served on the Secretariat of the standing committee charged with proposing amendments to the Tribunal's Rules of Procedure and Evidence.