This book critically examines the issues pertaining to the Rome Statute’s complementarity principle. The focus lies on the primacy of African states to prosecute alleged perpetrators of international crimes in their respective jurisdictions. The chapters explore states’ international and domestic obligations to hold perpetrators of international crimes to account before the national courts, and demonstrate the complexity of enforcing national accountability of alleged perpetrators of international crimes while also ensuring that post-conflict African states achieve national healing, reconciliation, and sustainable peace. The contributions reject impunity for international crimes whilst also considering these complexities. Emphasis further lies on the meaning of accountability in the context of the politics of selective international criminal justice for crimes committed before the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Review "This collection of essays brings together fresh voices in international criminal law to tackle perhaps the most misunderstood, and potentially the most important, concept in modern international criminal law: complementarity. By addressing the prospects and challenges of national-level prosecution of the most serious crimes in international law, the book opens up avenues for further reflection." (Dire Tladi, Professor and NRF SARChI Chair of International Constitutional Law, South Africa) From the Back Cover ‘This collection of essays brings together fresh voices in international criminal law to tackle perhaps the most misunderstood, and potentially the most important, concept in modern international criminal law: complementarity. By addressing the prospects and challenges of national-level prosecution of the most serious crimes in international law, the book opens up avenues for further reflection.’ ― Dire Tladi, Professor and NRF SARChI Chair of International Constitutional Law, South Africa This book critically examines the issues pertaining to the Rome Statute’s complementarity principle. The focus lies on the primacy of African states to prosecute alleged perpetrators of international crimes in their respective jurisdictions. The chapters explore states’ international and domestic obligations to hold perpetrators of international crimes to account before the national courts, and demonstrate the complexity of enforcing national accountability of alleged perpetrators of international crimes while also ensuring that post-conflict African states achieve national healing, reconciliation, and sustainable peace. The contributions reject impunity for international crimes whilst also considering these complexities. Emphasis further lies on the meaning of accountability in the context of the politics of selective international criminal justice for crimes committed before the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Emma Charlene Lubaale is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at Rhodes University, South Africa. She holds LL.D and LL.M degrees from the University of Pretoria. She obtained an LL.B from Makerere University, a post-graduate diploma in legal practice from Uganda’s Law Development Center and a post-graduate diploma in Higher Education from the University of KwaZulu Natal. Her teaching and research interests are in criminal law, international human rights law, international criminal law, women and children’s rights. She is a member of the Organization of Women in Science for the Developing World, the South African Young Academy of Science, and a fellow with the African Science Leadership Program. Ntombizozuko Dyani-Mhango holds LL.B and LL.M degrees from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, and Doctor of Juridical Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. She is Full Professor of International Law and Head of the Department of Public Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria
