Author Description

The post-World War Two period has witnessed numerous armed conflicts characterized by extensive violations of relevant obligatory international norms. Responding to these events, the United Nations General Assembly created a permanent international court in 2003, with jurisdiction over selected international crimes. The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia was a precursor to this permanent court. It was established for the purpose of "prosecuting persons responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia." As a precedent for what we may expect in the future, it deserves special attention from a historical, political, and especially an international law point of view. The Prosecution of International Crimes comprehensively examines the creation, mandate, and challenges of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Derived from a special issue of Criminal Law Forum: An International Journal, a peer-review journal dedicated to the advancement of criminal law theory, practice, and reform throughout the world, it is now available in paperback.Mark Osiel is professor of law at the University of Iowa. He is the author of Mass Atrocity, Collective Memory, and the Law.