Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a contemporary consideration of various issues emerging from present-day breaches of norms of International humanitarian law IHL and of how impunity for such breaches can be tackled. It particularly concerns with the interplay between the rules governing accountability for violations of IHL and those of other areas of law, including ICL, Human Rights Law, general principles of International Law and national Criminal Law, that impact on the prosecution of war crimes. The chapters are integrated around the central theme of accountability for violations of IHL. They carefully examines different aspects of the topic such as the role of international courts and tribunals, the conception of crimes and culpability, the procedural rights of the accused, as well as issues concerning the national experience of conducting war crimes trials.