Universal Jurisdiction in the face of International Crimes: French and Comparative Law - Institut d'études avancées de Paris - Study Day on site on 13 04 2023 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm - Paris (registration required).
Information sources (IEA Paris website)
Events calendar" section, then "all events" tab, then "upcoming events" section
Presentation of the event
Universal jurisdiction allows a State's criminal courts to judge acts committed abroad by foreign perpetrators against foreign victims. Although it is certainly useful in the fight against impunity for perpetrators of international crimes, it is not uniformly regulated in all States.
At a time when international crimes are multiplying and international criminal justice seems unable to deal with all situations (Syria, Ukraine, etc.), universal jurisdiction could become a relevant tool in the fight against impunity.
An analysis of comparative law will allow us to put into perspective the French system, which only very restrictively admits universal jurisdiction in matters of international crimes, as shown by the November 2021 ruling refusing to prosecute in France crimes against humanity committed in Syria.
