Holding perpetrators of atrocity crimes to account: The interplay and effectiveness of humanitarian interventions and the ICC

Abstract

Since the end of World War II, we have seen the international community have a great focus on achieving International Criminal Justice for atrocity crimes. This was done through the establishment of different tribunal courts such as the ones in Yugoslavia and Rwanda. This ultimately led to the creation of a permanent court- The International Criminal Court (ICC). This court was established in order to punish those that commit atrocity crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and crimes of aggression. The intervention in Libya in 2011 saw for the first time the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine and The ICC interact in the same situation. This research paper aims to explore the interplay between the International Criminal Court and Responsibility to Protect in holding those that are committing atrocity to account. This research paper will look at whether these two mechanisms can effectively work together in achieving justice. It will look at the conceptualisation as to why they should in fact be linked together. It will look closely at the role of R2P and the ICC in Libya and the impact of this for international criminal justice and what this means for future R2P and ICC cases.