International Criminal Law ServicesRealising international criminal justice
MISSION
ICLS provides legal and technical training, advice and support in order to ensure accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Our clients and the beneficiaries of our services include national, regional, hybrid and international courts, judges, prosecutors, defence counsel, court registries, governmental authorities, armed forces, non governmental organisations and businesses.
Recent developments
ICLS and IICI partnering on ICC-focused training programme in Uganda
ICLS and the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI) are partnering on an IICI-led programme in Uganda. The ICC-focused programme comprises three training and awareness-raising events held in Kampala for Ugandan prosecutors, investigators, judges, other justice-sector officials, defence counsel and civil-society representatives. The background to the programme is Uganda’s evolving multi-pronged efforts to end impunity for atrocity crimes, the ICC’s work on Uganda, the recent passing of the ICC act by parliament, and the upcoming ICC Review Conference which will be held in Kampala. The first training has already taken place; it was primarily aimed at war-crimes investigators and prosecutors. The remaining two will be held in the near future. The programme is financially supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with the backing of Uganda’s Justice, Law and Order Sector authorities.
Suggestions for lessons-learned studies to strengthen the ICC: report
Dr Gideon Boas and ICLS’ Executive Director, Mr Gabriël Oosthuizen, completed a study identifying International Criminal Court-relevant gaps in lessons-learned studies in relation to various international and hybrid criminal courts, including the UN international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. See their report “Suggestions for future lessons-learned studies: the experience of other international and hybrid criminal courts of relevance to the International Criminal Court“. It is hoped that the report will spur comprehensive lessons-learned studies in key identified areas, and that such studies would help the ICC meet its key challenges more proficiently and efficiently. See Projects for the disclaimer and more details on the project.
ICTR-transfer and extradition cases to Rwanda: “Commentary” on Rwanda’s Transfer Law
As part of its Rwanda capacity-enhancement project, ICLS is publishing a “commentary” on Rwanda’s Transfer Law. The law is meant to facilitate the transfer of cases from the ICTR to Rwanda under rule 11bis of the ICTR Rules of Procedure and Evidence and the extradition of suspects accused of genocide and other atrocity crimes to Rwanda from foreign countries. The “Notes on Rwanda’s Transfer Law” (”Notes sur la Loi relative au Transfert du Rwanda“) are meant to assist practitioners and others in Rwanda and elsewhere working on transfer and extradition cases. The notes were written by Gabriël Oosthuizen, ICLS’ Executive Director. See Projects for more information on the Rwanda capacity-enhancement project.