Introduction

This chapter aims to assess the behaviour of quasi-state entities (QSEs) in a world that, although changed, remains dominated by, and centred on, sovereign states. It considers different forms of QSE and how these evolved in various statehood clashes. 'Legitimacy', as a word and as a concept, is used in divergent ways, in different contexts and situations, and sometimes with differing definitions attached to it. The first modern international criminal courts were established during, or in the direct aftermath of, some of the 'most heinous crimes' that 'shocked the conscience of humanity'. These were atrocities that the international community, despite the new-found agreement in the UN Security Council, had been unable or unwilling to prevent. Finally, the chapter presents an overview of this book. The book aims to assess the influence of international criminal justice on the capacity of QSEs to create and maintain legitimacy.