International Criminal Justice (online, self-paced)

In this online, self-paced course, you will explore the how international law defines war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression, the historical development of international criminal law and the contemporary challenges facing international criminal justice.

Course Summary

Discover the foundational concepts of international crimes and examine how international law defines war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression. In this course you will explore the historical development of international criminal law from key tribunals from the post World War II Nuremberg tribunal, to the creation of the International Criminal Court. You will also gain an understanding of the contemporary challenges facing international criminal justice, including the conflict in Gaza, the role of national courts in investigating alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, and the future of the International Criminal Court.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion on this course you will have a thorough understanding of the foundations, historical context, modern day challenges and future trajectories of international criminal law and justice.

This course covers the following topics:

1. Foundations : What are international crimes?
2. Historical Context: How did international criminal law (ICL) come about?
3. War Crimes
4. Crimes Against Humanity
5. Genocide
6. Aggression
7. The conflict in Gaza
8. Investigating alleged war crimes in Afghanistan
9. Future Trajectories: Does international criminal justice have a future?
10. Further Exploration

Who should attend

Anyone working in foreign policy, international law, and national security should take this course to gain a deeper understanding of the legal frameworks governing international crimes and international criminal justice.Diplomats and policymakers would benefit from insights into how international criminal law impacts global relations and conflict resolution efforts.

Additionally, those working in the fields of justice, defense, or human rights will find the course a useful introduction to the complexities of prosecuting international crimes, both in national and international courts.

Prerequisite: There is no prerequisite for this course

Instructors

Douglas Guilfoyle, Professor of International Law and Security, UNSW Canberra. Douglas joined UNSW Canberra in 2018. His principal areas of research are maritime security, the international law of the sea, and international and transnational criminal law. He is a 2022-2025 Australian Research Council Future Fellow, working on the project "Small States' use of law of the sea litigation against greater powers". He is also a non-resident fellow at the Sea Power Centre - Australia and was a Visiting Legal Fellow at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2018-2019), as well as having worked as a judicial associate in the Australian Federal Court and the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal.