This volume investigates the legal frameworks and judicial interpretations governing international crimes as established by the ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Guénaël Mettraux, a legal scholar with extensive experience in international criminal law, synthesizes the jurisprudence of the ICTY and ICTR to clarify the definitions and applications of core international offenses. The text provides a systematic examination of how these tribunals navigated complex legal precedents to prosecute individuals for the most serious crimes under international law.

Legal scholars and practitioners frequently cite this work as a foundational reference for understanding the development of international criminal law in the late 20th century. Experts highlight the text for its technical precision and its ability to distill complex tribunal rulings into a coherent legal framework.