The Relationship between the ICC and Truth Commissions

• In Event: Roundtable: The Rule of Law in an Era of Change

Abstract

The relationship between the International Criminal Court (hereafter referred to as ICC) and truth commissions is one that has often been described as conflicting and irreconcilable. Those in favor of strict retributive justice argue that the essence of the ICC towards ending impunity is such that it cannot exist harmoniously with truth commissions. This paper proposes to examine if such assertions are in fact credible or if they can be negated on the basis of the intended meaning afforded to certain provisions of the Rome Statute.

Author

• Kate Louise McEleney, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY