International Criminal Tribunals and Courts 2021-2022
University of Groningen
Assignment: question 2: essay
Wordcount: 2900 words
Teacher: Scott
Table of contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. 2
1. What makes one crime more serious than another?...................................................................................3
1.1 Definitions and elements of the international crimes...................................................................................3
1.2 Can greater punishment indicate the relative heinousness of a crime?........................................................4
2. International tribunals and courts; case law analysis..................................................................................5
2.1 War crimes vs crimes against humanity........................................................................................................6
2.1.1 Erdemovic case (ICTY).............................................................................................................................6
2.1.2 Tadic case (ICTY).....................................................................................................................................7
2.1.2.1 Dissenting opinions..............................................................................................................................8
2.2 Genocide vs crimes against humanity and war crimes..................................................................................9
2.2.1 The Akayesu and Kambanda cases of the ICTR....................................................................................10
3. The debate; is there a hierarchy?.............................................................................................................. 11
4. Conclusion............................................................................................................................................... 12
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................ 13
, Genocide, the crime of crimes?
Introduction
Since the Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin invented the term genocide in 1944 in his
book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, the crime of genocide has gained primacy within
international law.1 Trial Chamber I in the case of Prosecutor v Jean Kambanda
designated genocide as the “crime of crimes” 2 and scholars such as William Schabas
have maintained that genocide belongs at the apex of the pyramid in the hierarchy of
crimes.3 This paper will critically reflect on this statement by ascertaining whether the
crime of genocide can indeed be seen as the crime of crimes and is therefore more
serious than crimes against humanity and/or war crimes. This paper ascertains that
legally the crime of genocide has primacy over other crimes but explores if genocide
has primacy over crimes against humanity and/or war crimes.
To analyse this question, this paper will look at the relevant legal instruments, as well
as the case law of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda (ICTR), to understand
what the approaches of the Tribunals are when it comes to the hierarchy of crimes,
and whether the ICTY or the ICTR do, in practice, consider genocide to be more
severe than crimes against humanity and/or war crimes. This paper will also touch
upon de views of scholars in the literature. A conclusion will then be drawn
considering the findings of different sections of the paper.
1
Raphael Lemkin, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe: Laws of Occupation, Analysis of Government,
Proposals for Redress (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 1944), p. 79.
2
The Prosecutor v. Jean Kambanda (Trial Chamber), ICTR 97-23-S, International Criminal Tribunal
for Rwanda (ICTR), 4 September 1998, para 16.
3
William A. Schabas, Genocide in International Law (CUP 2009) p. 10-11.
2
University of Groningen
Assignment: question 2: essay
Wordcount: 2900 words
Teacher: Scott
Table of contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. 2
1. What makes one crime more serious than another?...................................................................................3
1.1 Definitions and elements of the international crimes...................................................................................3
1.2 Can greater punishment indicate the relative heinousness of a crime?........................................................4
2. International tribunals and courts; case law analysis..................................................................................5
2.1 War crimes vs crimes against humanity........................................................................................................6
2.1.1 Erdemovic case (ICTY).............................................................................................................................6
2.1.2 Tadic case (ICTY).....................................................................................................................................7
2.1.2.1 Dissenting opinions..............................................................................................................................8
2.2 Genocide vs crimes against humanity and war crimes..................................................................................9
2.2.1 The Akayesu and Kambanda cases of the ICTR....................................................................................10
3. The debate; is there a hierarchy?.............................................................................................................. 11
4. Conclusion............................................................................................................................................... 12
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................ 13
, Genocide, the crime of crimes?
Introduction
Since the Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin invented the term genocide in 1944 in his
book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, the crime of genocide has gained primacy within
international law.1 Trial Chamber I in the case of Prosecutor v Jean Kambanda
designated genocide as the “crime of crimes” 2 and scholars such as William Schabas
have maintained that genocide belongs at the apex of the pyramid in the hierarchy of
crimes.3 This paper will critically reflect on this statement by ascertaining whether the
crime of genocide can indeed be seen as the crime of crimes and is therefore more
serious than crimes against humanity and/or war crimes. This paper ascertains that
legally the crime of genocide has primacy over other crimes but explores if genocide
has primacy over crimes against humanity and/or war crimes.
To analyse this question, this paper will look at the relevant legal instruments, as well
as the case law of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda (ICTR), to understand
what the approaches of the Tribunals are when it comes to the hierarchy of crimes,
and whether the ICTY or the ICTR do, in practice, consider genocide to be more
severe than crimes against humanity and/or war crimes. This paper will also touch
upon de views of scholars in the literature. A conclusion will then be drawn
considering the findings of different sections of the paper.
1
Raphael Lemkin, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe: Laws of Occupation, Analysis of Government,
Proposals for Redress (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 1944), p. 79.
2
The Prosecutor v. Jean Kambanda (Trial Chamber), ICTR 97-23-S, International Criminal Tribunal
for Rwanda (ICTR), 4 September 1998, para 16.
3
William A. Schabas, Genocide in International Law (CUP 2009) p. 10-11.
2
