ABSTRACT
According to international criminal law and its general principle of complementarity, international tribunals have only secondary jurisdiction over international crimes, as it is the primary role of domestic courts to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. Consequently, the Ukrainian courts are the main institutions responsible for bringing war criminals to justice and securing satisfaction for their victims. The chapter discusses the readiness and capacity of the Ukrainian justice system in relation to prosecuting international crimes from the institutional and normative perspective. Within this context, the international efforts to strengthen the local effectiveness, capability, and compliance with international standards are presented. Finally, the initial experience of Ukrainian domestic courts with war crime trials are scrutinized through the examination of their judicial decisions.
