Reducing Genocide to Law: Definition, Meaning, and the Ultimate CrimeCould the prevailing view that genocide is the ultimate crime be wrong? Is it possible that it is actually on an equal footing with war crimes and crimes against humanity? Is the power of the word genocide derived from something other than jurisprudence? And why should a hierarchical abstraction assume such importance in conferring meaning on suffering and injustice? Could reducing a reality that is beyond reason and words into a fixed category undermine the very progress and justice that such labelling purports to achieve? For some, these questions may border on the international law equivalent of blasphemy. This original and daring book, written by a renowned scholar and practitioner who was the first Legal Advisor to the UN Prosecutor at The Hague, is a probing reflection on empathy and our faith in global justice. |
Other editions - View all
Reducing Genocide to Law: Definition, Meaning, and the Ultimate Crime Payam Akhavan Limited preview - 2012 |
Reducing Genocide to Law: Definition, Meaning, and the Ultimate Crime Payam Akhavan No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
accused acts Akayesu Appeals Chamber Appeals judgement ICTY armed conflict Article atrocities Bosnia committed confines context crime of crimes crime of genocide crimes against humanity Darfur death defined definition of genocide destruction deterrence difficult dolus specialis Eichmann Elements of Crimes empathy emphasis added Erdemovic ethnic example extermination finding finds first GAOR Genocide Convention gravity hierarchy of crimes Holocaust Human Rights Ibid ICC Elements ICC Statute ICTR influence intent to destroy International Criminal Court international criminal law International Criminal Tribunal International Law International Law Commission jewish jews judge jurisprudence justice killing Korey Krstic Kunarac mass murder mens rea moral Muslims Nazi Nuremberg Nuremberg Trials official paras particular penalty perpetrators prosecution Prosecution’s Prosecutor rape Raphael Lemkin reflected requirement Rwanda Schabas September 1998 serious significant specific Srebrenica suffering sufficient systematic attack Tadic tion Trial Chamber Trial judgement ICTY Tutsis ultimate crime University Press victims war crimes widespread or systematic wrongdoing